Breaking Point
by Rikku Madara Uchiha
Summary: When Maka finally woke up a month after the battle with Asura, everything seemed to be going smoothly. It all came back together just to fall apart again. (Resonance Bang!)[nb!Crona, heavy DMC theme, major character death, cursing, violence; SoMa, B*OC, KilikOC]
1. IF ONLY I HAD THORNS LIKE A THISTLE

Hi, ya, welcome to my Resbang. I worked tirelessly on this for like five months with two a+ artists; look forward to Reverb after this!

IF ONLY I HAD THORNS LIKE A THISTLE

set 3 weeks after Asura

* * *

><p>She had been hurt before - pain was not foreign to most meisters. Maka had taken a few good beatings in her time at the Death Weapon Meister Academy; sometimes she was bull-headed and landed herself in a dangerous situation, and other times she was completely out-classed. She liked to think she had grown up since then; every day bringing her closer and closer to completing her first Death Scythe. She defeated witches, eradicated evil for a living; more often than not, she found herself proud of her work.<p>

But there it was - that small morsel of disappointment always wormed its way into her chest, even if she won.

She could have done better.

If Maka wasn't dead, then she wasn't sure what was happening to her. She had been asleep for what felt like years, she could feel her body growing weaker and weaker by the moment. She had been asleep for so long that she had gone over every victory and every failure. Some of her victories, she wouldn't call such - and some of her failures, they had made her grow stronger and, consequently, so did the people around her. She recalled her battle royale with Asura, and felt a swell of pride in her chest. _She _took out the kishin. But her heart was still heavy; yes, Asura was gone now, but what were the consequences? Would a new kishin rise to take his place, would the current kishin eggs wane into nothing? What would happen to her then? What was happening to her _now_? Her entire body was numb, the cold wrapping around her like death. _Was _she dead?

The cool touch of her metal blades made her reconsider- but it didn't console her at all; what was she? Five black blades stuck from her arms and back, icy and completely foreign to her. She had lived her whole life striving to be the best meister, to make the strongest Death Scythe. What should she live for now? What would happen to her and Soul?

The thought of Soul had her seeing white. It burned at her eyes, and it made her gasp for breath that she couldn't seem to get. Was she waking up? Maka regretted this immediately after her vision focused, because they were pulling a long tube from her throat. She coughed and hacked, fighting for air and taking massive gulps once the spasms ceased. There was someone hovering over her, someone grabbing her shoulders and shaking her.

"Maka!" It felt like she had come up to the surface of the ocean from the very bottom. She let out a pained, strangled yell before Soul let her go. He went to fluff the pillows, mumbling an apology for jostling her so badly. As he went to smooth her bangs back down, she frowned at him before clearing her throat.

"Soul, how long-"

"It's been almost a month since you beat Asura, if that's what you're wondering. You're not completely unscathed, as you may have noticed..." He seemed to trail off again, and she noticed absently that he was holding her hand. She squeezed his fingers, almost imperceivable because of how weak she felt. Her entire body felt like it was under ten tons of pressure; every beat of her heart rang through her painfully, sending out shockwaves from her wounds. Her ribs, she recalled, were broken. Her arms were bandaged, dotted with blood here and there. Her head was wrapped up, her leg was in some kind of cast.

Soul's mind was buzzing, not being able to settle on one thought. He was relieved that Maka was awake, finally, but he was also concerned about how she would be now that she was conscious. He couldn't begin to imagine how much longer the hospital would keep her, and how angry she would be when she came home to see that he hadn't managed to do the dishes or clean her room. He was also sure that she would be disappointed in him for ignoring their friends so much and staying at her side almost the entire time, but that was an argument for another day.

It was quiet, and her eyes slid closed against the harsh lighting. Soul tensed next to her but said nothing, not sure if he wanted her to stay awake or continue resting. His original fear was if she wouldn't wake up, now he was just scared she was too injured to be his meister. He noticed her grip tighten ever so slightly and felt himself relax. He had to stop worrying about her. His meister was tough, she always made it out of tough spots like this.

"Can you get me some water?" He leaned over and poked around in a bag, fishing out a bottle of water. It was still cool, as she noticed the condensation on the bottle as he twisted the lid off for her. She pouted at him, a look saying 'i could have done that' berating him silently. He grinned a bit sheepishly and handed her the bottle, which she took gratefully before gulping it down. She sighed, the raspy pressure in her throat relieved. He started going on about their friends, telling her about Black*Star breaking out of the hospital, about Kidd being trained more seriously in the Shinigami arts, even the two new NOT! students when he noticed how quiet Maka was. Glancing up at her, he noticed she was looking down at her hands.

"Maka, are you ok?"

"I turned into a weapon, Soul."

"I can go get Nygus- huh?" The last part came out as a strange squeak that he is completely embarrassed by, but he can't help but stare at her completely slack-jawed. She had turned into a weapon? None of the others mentioned that to him, but then again everyone had been knocked out for a short while. Could it have happened then? Goosebumps formed on his skin and he rubbed at his arms. What would happen to Maka if she _was _a weapon? Would they be assigned new partners? He never actually thought about _not _being partners with Maka, and he wouldn't be too proud to admit that it was a terrifying thought.

"I-... Well, I don't remember much."

"Maka, you can't just drop a bomb like that and say you don't really remember." He sighed, the tension in his muscles leaving. She was just mixing up her coma-state with reality; Stein said this happens when people first wake up. She didn't turn into a scythe with a black blade just like her father's- wait, how did he know what color she would be? _She wasn't a scythe._

"I must have been unconscious, but I remember watching everything... It was like a film was over my eyes, it was kind of blurry, but I felt them come out of my skin..." Her hand hovered over her arm, where the bandages were still spotty with blood. He remembered his first time changing in his sleep - the blades burst through his skin roughly, not exactly breaking skin and drawing blood but it was still enough to cause for bruising. They were just wounds from her fight. Soul was repeating it like a mantra in his head.

Maka saw the look on his face, and stopped trying to explain. He didn't even believe her. A quiet anger filled her eyes as she asked him to leave.

"I'm tired, Soul. I'm done talking." She turned over angrily and ignored him until he left the room. She admitted that turning over was possibly one of the worst choices she had ever made, but she didn't want to look at Soul when he didn't even take what she was saying into consideration. He was completely ignoring what she was trying to tell him. Why would she make this up? Maka huffed and let her eyes close again, falling into a restless sleep.

* * *

><p>Maka had over-reacted. What would she do if he told her that he wielded another weapon? She would discount it immediately, as he had done. It had never happened before -at least, he never heard of it- and there was no way it would have happened during that battle. Still, there was a feeling of unease in his chest. Soul knew better than to doubt Maka, especially when she had been so humble about it. But still, there was-<p>

"Oh, sorry Kid, I didn't see you there." Holding a hand out to the reaper, Soul pulled it back when he noticed Kid staring intently at the floor of the Academy. He sighed dreamily, seemingly counting again before looking up at Soul. His golden eyes were glowing in satisfaction.

"Sorry about that, Soul, I was just counting the tiles - there was some remodeling done and I had to be sure they still counted 888 in this hall." Soul knew better than to ask where his twin weapons were - they had probably grown tired of waiting for him, as it seemed the young reaper had been counting for a very long time, probably due to re-counts and distractions. Death the Kid stood across from Soul and brushed himself off before tucking his hands carefully in his pockets -the scythe noticed that they were inserted exactly the same way in either pocket- before turning to walk away.

"Soul, you seem troubled." Kid turned his head slightly to look back at Soul, who had a blank expression on his face. He knew there was something bothering the weapon, his soul seemed uncertain and his body language read as irritated. He assumed that Maka had said something to him about her memories - maybe a bad dream, or even something about her fight with the kishin. Kid couldn't remember much himself, but he had seen some things that were questionable. And if Soul could shed some light on that, even if it wasn't much, it would help Kid find some much-needed answers.

After a few moments Soul walked up beside Kid and they matched strides as they left the Academy. He wasn't sure why Kid invited him along, but if anyone would know what to make of this, it would be the genius reaper beside him. Kid was often the one that gave the most reasonable calls, which lead the group to rely on his opinion often. It was no different in this situation, Soul supposed; he was already used to Kid giving him advice, so of course he would bite when Kid offered to hear him out.

They descended the stairs in silence, occasionally Kid stopping to appreciate the serene symmetry of Death City, but they went mostly unhindered. At the bottom of the steps, they realized their houses were in different directions. They faced each other, Kid still patiently waiting for Soul to talk-

"Maka said she turned into a scythe during our last fight with Asura."

"Oh?" Kid quirked an eyebrow. He was interested more than anything, but his concern was also very relevant in his voice. So it _was _something Maka had said to him about the Kishin - Kid couldn't remember much of the fight, and he was weary to jump in and confirm Maka's suspicions. But he could swear he recalled the sound of blades clanging against the ground, and he was almost completely positive that he had caught a glimpse of the fight. He also was aware that he could be making up memories to match what Soul was talking to him about. He would need more information from the scythe before he could formulate a better response.

"Yeah, but she said she really didn't remember much of it. I'm sure she just had a crazy dream while she was asleep."

"But it's bothering you?" Soul felt himself go cold, it started behind his ears and in the backs of his knees. It _was _bothering him. But why? What was he scared of? He shook it off as best he could. Kid was looking at him with an impassive gaze, but he could see the gears turning in the reaper's head - turning through pages of history he memorized, of all the occasions this might of happened versus the times someone lied and said it could. Kid wouldn't give him some random answer, no, he was trying to get all the information out of Soul so he could respond properly. He remained quiet as he watched Soul's expression change several times.

Soul was trying so hard to not entertain thoughts of Maka practically seizing while blades shot in and out of her body, unable to control the sharp metal chunks from slicing through skin that was not meant to be opened, through a _meister's _skin. _His _meister.

He suddenly remembered a chunk from the fight, and part of him hoped it was just a false memory, but a larger part of him knew -and dreaded- that it was definitely a real one because he could almost feel the ache in his bones. The memory gripped him hard and refused to let go. He and his friends were strewn against the ground, unable to face the madness anymore. Maka was the only one who had tried to keep fighting. Only a few feet away, the kishin was hovering near Maka, waiting to rip out her grigori soul and eat it when blades suddenly began erupting from her body, cutting her skin from the force. It reminded him of Crona when he rejected Ragnarok's wavelength. It was brutal, and it looked painful. Soul had never seen a weapon transform that... violently.

"It's happened before. Though it is rare, there are cases of meisters and weapons having children with both genetic codes. Usually, the child only activates one of the codes, but there are occasions of extreme duress in which both meister and weapon genes are active and under control."

Kid's logical words pierced Soul's thoughts. There was a possibility that Maka was being completely serious. There was a possibility that Soul Eater had reacted in a totally uncool fashion to his best friend trying to ask him for help. Soul turned around to face the stairs of the Academy, instead of the direction he knew his house was in.

He could hear Maka's voice in his head, as if responding to his previous -and ridiculous- notion of him wielding a weapon. She would tell him that it wasn't very likely, but if he said he did it than she would give him the choice of being a weapon or a meister. She would have heard him out, taken in all the details. She would have offered to help him, because that's what cool people do. That's what _friends _do.

Kid turned on his heel, walking towards his home and raising his hand in the air as a goodbye. He knew that Soul needed to patch things up with Maka, and he also knew that Soul had realized how uncool he had been for brushing her off out of fear. He decided he would talk to his father about what to do; after all, what if this happened again? If she couldn't control it, she could get hurt - or hurt those around her.

"I'll talk to my father about Maka." In that moment, Soul didn't know what he would do without the help of _his _friends, and couldn't help but feel frustrated that he hadn't given Maka this much.

* * *

><p>((two weeks after Asura)<p>

* * *

><p>"You look nervous."<p>

"Should I not be? Jeeze, I don't know about this anymore..."

"Don't worry so much, it's not like we have anything to be afraid of."

Rudy knew her sister was right, and that there truly was nothing to fear at the end of this desert. Death City wasn't far off, and the sisters were used to walking distances of great magnitude, but something about this place drained her. Alternatively, neither of them was used to this kind of dry heat - southern China was usually very wet, and very hot. But each step that led them away from the shade of the forest, each step that brought them closer to the school, seemed to suck the vigor out of their souls.

Agnes was just as anxious as her sister was - not because she was afraid. No, the meister of the pair was only unsure of what to expect. Their caretaker, Ms. Mandy, had only told them to travel to the United States branch of the DWMA - everything else was taken care of, she had been assured. Her younger sister, Rudy, couldn't help but be doubtful. A year younger and more free-spirited, Rudy often doubted the amount that other people could accomplish.

The sand seemed to only add to their muddled pace, both still uneasy. Why would someone build a school here? Rudy felt a frown dig itself deep into her face, misery written all over her body. She was _hot, _sweat beading on her forehead as she removed her purple button-up, revealing a cottony white shirt with a large "DC" in the middle, written in green. She had sweat stains under her arms and around her neck, even a small patch was forming in the small of her back.

Her sister, as always, was the picture of elegance. Agnes had a single bead of sweat on her upper lip, which she wiped away effortlessly. There were no sweat stains on her white and pink polka-dotted tank top, and she seemed to float over the sand as opposed to the trudge that Rudy was moving through it with. The sun was laughing at them over head, and she felt her frown deepen.

"Hey, I think I see it." The red-headed meister's voice drifted to her weary ears and she perked up, looking at the horizon desperately. Way, way off in the distance, barely a bump against the endless beige that assaulted her eyes, there was a gray-ish splotch. They both felt completely underwhelmed. Ms. Mandy had made this place seem important, like there was something that they could actually do here. Then again, they were still unable to actually see the whole city. Maybe when they got closer, they could judge it better.

Still, Rudy had a feeling in her gut that they should turn around and go home. Wasn't there a kishin here two weeks ago? That sounded _beyond _hazardous, and if she avoided anything, it was hazards. But her sister, gutsy and willing to follow orders, had dragged her here.

Rudy stopped and turned around, squinting at the dunes and their footprints. There was a vibration in the air that caught her ears, and as it grew closer hearts formed in her eyes. She was jumping up and down, her blue hair flopping about as she waved her hands and shouted. Someone must be driving towards them, were they truly saved from walking the rest of the way?

A red Giulietta slowed to a stop before her, black tires churning the sand. The tinted window rolled down slowly to reveal a young boy, no older than they were, sitting in the driver's seat.

"Afternoon, ladies. Are you heading to Death City?" He drawled, and Agnes could feel a chill come on from his air conditioning. She craned her neck to look into his back and passenger seats - surprised to see two children's eyes peering eerily back at her. One of them seemed to be struggling against the seatbelt, eventually breaking free and getting out of the car to hug her legs. Agnes could recognize this as a fire spirit and patted the child's head fondly.

"Yeah, actually! My sister and I are here for school. We didn't think the walk from the treeline back there would be so... cumbersome."

"Heh, you get used to this heat after a while. Need a lift?" Rudy eagerly nodded her head, hair flapping against her forehead. Kilik noticed her sister, who was closer to the rear of the car, laughing with the Pot of Fire. They were clapping their hands together in some sort of secret hand-shake that escaped both of them. Agnes climbed into the back of the car with the Pots, and Rudy took the passenger seat. Kilik immediately took off as soon as everyone's seatbelts were secured, and they reached the sprawling township outside of the city in under twenty minutes.

"Your sister's good with kids," the boy drawled slowly as he down-shifted. The Pots were still engaged with Agnes, clapping and squeaking in approval every now and then. Rudy smiled and agreed with him, knowing how her sister tended to get along with more childish people. Agnes had remarked back that it was because she was so used to her childish sister.

"We didn't introduce ourselves yet, I'm Rudy and this is my sister, Agnes."

"Oh! Right, sorry. I'm Kilik Rung," he extended his left hand to shake hers and jab a thumb to the back seat.

"These are my weapons, the Pot of Fire and the Pot of Thunder." The two children seemed to be having a blast in the backseat with Agnes, who was telling them both a story with intricate hand gestures and strange noises.

"Weapons? Do you attend the DWMA?"

"Yeah, we're in the EAT class. It's for more advanced fighters, like me. I guess you'll be joining the NOT! class, right?"

"Uh... We don't really know what we're doing. What's the difference?" Kilik launched into a long explanation about how the NOT! class focuses on managing the abilities of a weapon or meister, while EAT class focuses on strengthening what one knows. He also included that EAT class members may go on missions, live in town, and they also have special permission while on assignments to go anywhere and do anything.

"Jeeze, that sounds out of our league... I just found out I was a weapon, Agnes just so happened to be a meister. Our caretaker, Ms. Mandy, sent us here."

"Ms. Mandy?"

"Mmhm! We're from China. Mandy isn't her name, we couldn't actually pronounce her surname."

"We called her Ms. Mandy because she spoke Mandarin." The sisters laughed, and Kilik even chuckled at their silly nickname. He glanced up in the rearview mirror, looking back at Agnes. She had this bright, orange hair that seemed to dance with a strange liveliness. There were random dark strands of red, and even streaks of yellow. Her purple eyes matched her sister's to the shade. He could even make out her freckles that dotted her cheeks, her heart-shaped face looking at the Pots with a fondness he rarely encountered. She seemed to be the older of the two, and was a good bit taller than Rudy.

With a quick glance at Rudy, he realized that only their eyes related the two. Rudy was a darker shade of brown than her coppery-toned sibling. Rudy's hair was also much shorter, barely brushing her shoulders. The tips were aqua, fading into a soft sky-blue as it reached her roots. She had a different pattern of freckles across her soft, child-like face and her eyes were round, unlike her sister's angular eyes. He suspected if they were sitting in normal chairs, she wouldn't be able to touch the ground with flat-feet.

He pulled up at the bottom of the gargantuan staircase, the car rolling slower until it came to a hault. The Pots frowned in the back seat, realizing Agnes was about to leave. The sisters regretted ignoring the sights in favor of talking to the trio, but couldn't help but feel a bit less anxious now.

"Thank you so much for the ride, Kilik." Agnes smiled at him, small and almost unnoticed, but by Rudy's reaction -a grin that took up half of her face- it was a very good sign.

"We'll see you again, thanks for helping us out!"

"Anytime! If you need help with your normal classes, give me a buzz and I'll see what I remember," He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head while holding out a small business card. His name was neatly printed in the middle, along with three different numbers: one for faxing, another one for general calls, and the last was scribbled messily on the back in blue ink.

"Don't bother with the other two numbers, you'll never get ahold of me with those. But," he winked at them while putting the car in gear, "Don't tell anyone else that! See ya!" And he sped off through the maze-like city. Upon closer inspection, they noticed that it definitely said "Charity Boxer" under his name.

They glanced back at the steps again and grimaced. Ms. Mandy didn't prepare them for anything like this.


	2. THE FIRST DAY

THE FIRST DAY

one month after Asura

* * *

><p>"Now, I called you here so I could talk to you about one of the students. You may know her - Justin, can you hear me?" Lord Death waved one of his large hands in front of the Death Scythe, recieving a curious look before he removed one of his headphones.<p>

"Justin, are you listening?"

"Oh, what a marvelous sound! God's voice has graced my ears with news of-"

"Whoa there, slow down. I haven't even gotten to the good part." He would never admit it, but Justin Law was not his favorite Death Scythe. It was always difficult to communicate with him because he never took out those headphones. Even if Lord Death had need of a Death Scythe and Law was the only one around, he doubted their compatibility. Whether it had to do with the fact that Justin worked alone and did most things solo, or if there was some other nagging reason, Lord Death did not know. They were both alone in the Death Room today due to the urgency and privacy of the matters being discussed.

"Now, as I was saying. Maka Albarn, one of the young meisters responsible for defeating Asura, has brought to light some serious news... She claims to have transformed into a weapon during the fight, but has only a vague memory of it. Now, since I know you're a very capable meister as well, I was hoping you could perhaps show Maka how to control her transformation?"

Justin immediately launched into a prayer that lasted twenty minutes, constantly mentioning how honored he was to recieve such a noble task. After he was done, there was a gleam in his eyes that made the reaper sweat-drop.

"My great and noble Lord, I will find your follower and answer their prayer, and I will train them to the best of my ability!"

"Ah, she's still in the hospital. You will probably have to wait a few more days before she's released. I trust that you will know when the time is right to begin her training."

Justin gave Lord Death a thumbs up before excusing himself; he wanted to go and meet Maka in the hospital, before they began their training. On his way out of the Death Room, he continued to wonder how he could allow this young meister slip through his watchful eye.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Maka, how is your recovery going?" While the music was turned down she could still see his headphones in place. Justin Law was one of her idols, to be so driven and focused to turn himself into a Death Scythe. She smiled nervously at him as he approached her, almost forgetting the question.<p>

"Well, my side doesn't hurt as badly as when I first woke up. Professor Stein told me that my ribs are freshly healed and still a little tender - everything else is just surface healing." He watched as she waved a hand over the dressings on her arms. Justin found himself thinking about how violent her transformation must have been, to actually break her skin. He knew he was staring but he was analyzing how the fight must have gone, the turmoil in her meister soul to allow the weapon blood to activate. Maybe her black blood had helped it along? He was primarily a weapon and learned to wield himself, after all.

"I've never seen a weapon be hurt from their blades. In fact, I'm surprised yours were actually sharp from the get-go. How many of these wounds do you have?"

"Eh... I have one on my back, and these ones on my arm, I don't understand?" Her heart was pounding out of her chest; Soul didn't believe her, and yet he told Lord Death? She began to entertain thoughts of being reassigned and a panicked glint entered her eye. Justin sighed internally, realizing he had jumped into an evaluation without explaining.

"Oh, yes, sorry. Lord Death has been informed of your weapon transformation and asked me to see you through training, once you leave this hospital."

"W-what? What about Soul?" The look on her face said fear, but the look in her eyes was clearly intent on her partner. It had been a thought, a dream in her coma-state. When Soul became a Death Scythe -if they were ever going to get there- would he be taken from her, or would they remain a team? She was so accustomed to being with him, she knew how to use him to his full potential and he knew how to pull her best out of her. She knew there would be other weapons to train, but Maka could admit she didn't want another weapon. She wanted Soul.

"Oh, he'll still be your partner, and you'll still go on missions when you're able. Consider your weapon training just as side training. You're still a meister, our fair Lord however wanted to make sure you stayed safe!" There was a gleam in the guillotine's eyes and he pressed a hand to his chest. Maka exhaled sharply as she relaxed her tensed back. This was just safety training.

"Now, Maka... What exactly can you remember?"

Her side was stiff and her arms were bandaged beneath her meister's coat, but Maka Albarn was finally out of the hospital and currently preparing for school. She had gotten up an hour early to make breakfast for her and Soul, because she knew for a fact that he probably hadn't eaten breakfast since before the final battle. That was a little over a month ago.

She scrambled her eggs and made his sunny-side up with a pinch of black pepper on each yolk. Soul's plate had a hash blend of red peppers, green peppers, sweet onions, and hot sauce on top. She stuck with rye toast and a few homefries, still unable to find her appetite from the hospital stay.

He came out, looking surprised.

"Maka, you didn't have to do this. How are you feeling?"

"I figured you probably hadn't eaten a good breakfast in a while. I'm feeling fine, Soul, now sit down and eat before it gets cold!"

He pulled out her chair for her before taking his own seat. Maka ate slower than he remembered, but then again she was asleep for a month. It takes time to get your appetite back. He shoveled in the hash and quickly speared his eggs, allowing the yolks to mesh with the potatoes.

"Why did you tell Lord Death about me... turning into a weapon?" He still hadn't apologized to her for brushing her off, he hadn't worked up the nerve, nor could he find the right time. Soul knew she was probably still angry with him, but there was nothing negative about her tone; it was only a question.

"I didn't. I talked to Kid, who did it for me. What, are you mad?"

"No, I don't think I am. He wants me to train," His eyes were boring holes into her now, and he felt a pit start to form in his stomach. Did Lord Death think Maka could become a weapon? He started to worry if he had done the right thing now - or had he split them up? She could see all of this as his thoughts descended slowly into worse scenarios.

"Soul, he just wants me to be able to control it. We're still partners."

Everything haulted and she watched his entire figure sag in relief as he forked another bit of eggy-hash into his mouth, getting some yolk on his chin. She leaned across the table and wiped it away, smiling. She was glad it wasn't just her that was worried about losing him. She grabbed her plate and put it in the sink, rinsing it off. She pulled out a ready-made lunch for Blair and set it on the counter before scooping up Soul's plate. He always had a habit of leaving a little bit of food on the plate, so she scraped it into the trash before setting it in the sink with her own plate.

Their way to school was quiet except for the sound of their footsteps against the pavement. This is what Maka had missed. The silence in the hospital was cold and lonely. But going to school, walking with Soul, she couldn't help but smile. She had dreamed of petty things like this while she was asleep.

Soul lagged behind her when it came to the stairs, telling her to go ahead of him. He hated the stairs more than anyone, and on a particularly stubborn morning he refused to even attend school because of them. She saw people milling around, and a few of them approached her with wishes of wellness. Her eyes were scanning the crowd for a particular person - and with surprisingly quick success, she found them.

"Crona!" The demon swordsman turned to her, and she saw the tense nervousness leave them when their eyes met hers. She bounded over to them and grabbed one of their hands in both of hers. They blushed, and she felt her heart sag in relief that Crona had remained the same. She walked with them to their classroom, chatting about how they had been doing without her there to help them along. They admitted that it was difficult to deal with so many people -Ragnarok had joined in their conversation at this point, tugging Crona's hair and calling them a baby- but she was glad to hear that their friends had included them in all their regular meetings. They even mentioned the new students in NOT! class and teaching them basketball. Ragnarok was oddly quiet when it came to that subject. She opened the door for her friend before scanning the seats.

She wasn't even surprised that Black*Star wasn't there, but Tsubaki was ever vigilant in her seat. Upon seeing Crona and Maka's entrance she stood and made a beeline for the two. Tsubaki took Maka's hands in her own and gave a big, genuine smile. She knew that it had been hard for Crona without her, but Tsubaki had also missed the scythe meister. Being the only other normal person in their typically rambunctious group, Tsubaki had found it hard to handle their antics alone. She glanced behind the pair, almost wondering where Soul was before recalling his aversion to the stairs.

"Maka, I'm so glad you're feeling better! Me and Black*Star came to visit you, I'm surprised he didn't wake you up..." Maka laughed and smiled back at her friend. She had missed this, too.

"Thanks, Tsubaki, I'm just glad to be back in class. Have I missed much?" Tsubaki began to go over the last month of class, and when the Professor rolled in, she promised to loan Maka her notes. They took their seats, though Stein seemed to be waiting for something. Indeed, two girls walked into the class; the girl with red hair seemed to be beyond irritated, and the blue haired girl had her head down quietly, with a sweat-drop on the back. Maka immediately recognized them, smiling warmly.

It was lost on the duo, as they were more focused on Stein than the other students. Rudy's head was ducked; partially out of embarassment, and partially out of fear for this teacher. Something felt dangerously off about him. Agnes was tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for him to finish introducing them so they could sit down and get this over with.

"Good morning, class. As you can see, we have two new students joining us today, and we also welcome back Maka Albarn. Girls, care to share a few words?"

"My name is Rudy, I'm a weapon."

"My name is Agnes, and my sister is an idiot."


	3. DEALINGS

DEALINGS

two weeks after Asura

* * *

><p>It was still hot out, even though the sun had set four hours ago.<p>

They still hadn't found their way to the new apartment that had been assigned to them. Ms. Mandy had managed to procure one prior to their arrival, and since they had gone straight to the acadamy, they hadn't had time to check out the town during daylight hours. Rudy stumbled and leaned heavily against a brick wall, groaning in irritation. She was so _hot, _why was it so miserable here?

"Come on. This way." Rudy glared at her sister; this is why they were lost. For all the things Agnes could do right, navigation was the single thing she couldn't manage; even if they had a map with a big, red arrow pointing to the apartment on it, she would still get them lost. Rudy shoved past her sister, grabbing her hand hard and pulling her along. When Agnes kept stride with her for a few minutes, she released her and after a few more twists and turns, they were in the right area.

After checking their numbers twice, they were relieved -and Agnes' pride suffered- to find the door leading to their new home. They couldn't wait to go in and sleep in their clean beds. Agnes took out the key and jiggled it a bit, twisting the knob and pushing the door open. It was completely dark inside, and Agnes felt her heart speed up; there was sweat on her palms, the black void pulling her in. She hated the dark. She hated the dark. She hated-

Rudy flipped on the lights, picking up on the subtle hints of her sister's pending anxiety attack. She felt her heart drop when she actually looked around a bit.

"I wish we had packed something. _Anything_."

There was a living room; a couch big enough for three and a chair were the only pieces of furniture - they were both a dark red, smooth velvet covering them. The floors were all wood, running throughout the house. The kitchen had nothing except for a sink, a stove, and a refridgerator with no food in it; the walls an off-white with a faint blue hue. There was a door at the beginning of a narrow hallway, and it had a single bed, nightstand, and dresser in it.

A bit further down there was a bathroom; it was small, but it had a shower, toilet, and sink. At the very end of the hall, stood an open wall. It lead into a larger bedroom, though the bed was only a twin. There was another nightstand, and a bigger dresser. This room also had the only window in the entire apartment.

"I concur, however we didn't know exactly what our roles were to be here... At least we have beds."

"Yeah, but they're in different rooms!"

"Then quit whining and help me move our only furniture."

Rudy made an unflattering face before skulking towards the back of their new apartment. Ms. Mandy had arranged for everything, according to Lord Death. Their apartment was paid for, and their papers had already been approved. He told them they could begin class tomorrow.

Agnes had a particular aversion to darkness and night, so the girls had shared a room their entire lives. Rudy had suggested that they let it go for the night, seeing as how they were both exhausted; Agnes wouldn't hear of it. She had a way of bullying her younger sister into doing what she wanted, if she wanted it bad enough.

Agnes took the bottom of the frame and lifted it before tugging it out so Rudy could squeeze between the bed and wall. They were twin beds, not big enough to give them much trouble -except for when Rudy got her right and left mixed up and they got the bed wedged in the doorframe- and after about an hour of grunting and arguing, they laid on their new beds, staring at the same ceiling.

"What do you think we should expect?"

"Well, Kilik made it seem like NOT! students don't know how to transform fully. They also seem to not have already picked partners, but since we're sisters I don't see a problem."

Rudy blew a stray hair out of her face, staring at the ceiling. She didn't want to go to school to learn how to turn herself into a sword, but she didn't exactly want to risk her life in the EAT class. The two had agreed on their long trek to join NOT! class and do their best from there, but perhaps they could just go back to China. The beds weren't familiar and the house was cold and barren.

Somewhere in her thoughts, Rudy fell asleep. Agnes glanced over at her snoring sister before turning over, thinking about how her sister was probably entertaining throughts about leaving. Her sister was always a bit cowardly, but Agnes could only hope she would pull through.

* * *

><p>They wouldn't be running late if Rudy had woken up when Agnes kicked the edge of her bed, at 6. It took a small fire to wake the weapon up, and even then she was half-asleep as they ran through the unfamiliar alleys of Death City. Agnes tugged her every-which way, but the older sister had the worst sense of direction in the world and neither of them payed attention to the tour Kilik gave them the day prior.<p>

Rudy was positive they were getting further and further from the school when she saw a little kid with a hat on staring at her from the other end of the alley. She stopped her sister and pointed sleepily at the Pot of Thunder, who was quickly joined by the Pot of Fire who was rapidly approaching the sisters.

Kilik quickly appeared, looking slightly worried; they had run off, making him ditch Black*Star so he could find them. Apparently, they had run to the new kids from the day before. They looked a little different in school uniforms; Agnes had on a long skirt, a white, long-sleeved shirt, and a yellow sweater, while Rudy was wearing gym shorts and a Death City t-shirt.

"Hey! Agnes and Rudy, right? You guys are gonna be late soon, what are you doing here?"

"We're lost." Agnes shot her sister an angry look while Kilik laughed, and the Pot of Fire tugged on her thumb. She smiled down at the shaman before beginning a conversation with the two. It seemed one-sided to Kilik and Rudy, who heard no words from the Pots.

"I'll help you guys get to school, follow me. NOT! students are usually excused from being late a few times because of the city's confusing layout." He motioned for them to follow and he began to navigate the city before Rudy began to ask questions.

"What are you doing here, then? Won't you be late, too?" Kilik smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"I ran into my friend, Black*Star this morning and we got to talking. Say, can either of you play basketball? Why don't you join us today after class?" They gave him a strange look; he almost began to wonder if they even knew what basketball was. He didn't know why he offered, either - they seemed like nice kids, but they didn't exactly seem to be the type his friends would hang out with.

"Uh, sure! Can we meet right by the stairs? We don't really know any place other than the school." Her words were a bit huffy as they began to climb the stairs. Once again, neither girl had noticed the layout of the town. Kilik and his weapons seemed too interesting to pay any attention to the buildings and streets. He chuckled and nodded, not a single harsh breath coming from him. He must have climbed these steps every day for years.

He lead them down a hallway, then up two sets of stairs, down another very long hallway, and then they went up another four flights of steps. How could this school have so many stairs, Rudy wondered vaguely. Even Agnes was showing wear from all of the steps. Were they really this out of shape?

"Well, here we are. Look for me after class, we'll probably be out before you."

"Wait, where's your class?" He had that smirk again as he jabbed a thumb at himself, then at his Pots.

"Remember, we're in EAT class. Our classroom is on the other side of the school, in the Moon section. I'll see you guys later!" He walked away and waved back at them, his weapons following him reluctantly. They walked into class and almost groaned out loud.

Everyone in there was eyeing each other up, with varying looks of superiority. They had already started mingling, and a blue-skinned man came towards them.

"You two must be the transfers, Agnes and Rudy. I see you've already partnered up, so go ahead and stand over there. We're going to gauge your abilities." He said the last bit louder so everyone could hear him, and they all slowly shifted around the room. He had the weapons on one line, and meisters on the other. He had each person partner with another and try to transform. Most people could only turn their leg or arms, some their heads or feet. Rudy stunted her transformation, her arm turning into a reverse-blade katana. The blade itself was dull and chipped, and overall unimpressive.

The blue man, who had called himself Sid, told them to continue talking and looking for partners. Each sister was asked by at least two people to partner up, leading to many disappointments. The next two hours went by and they continued talking to other students, trying to get more information about what this school was like. At the end of their class, as promised, Kilik and the Pots were waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. He once more guided them through the streets and alleys, keeping them so distracted that they thought the basketball court was right next to the school.

"Hey, Kilik! Whoa, who're the new kids?" His hair was blue, and he had a star tattoo on his shoulder. His voice was loud and he seemed to puff out his chest. He pointed a thumb at himself, flaring his nostrils as he began shouting at the top of his lungs.

"I am the great and mighty Black*Star! I have surpassed God, and I have surpassed fear itself! Bow in my presence, because who knows who I'll beat next!"

"That's Black*Star, and I'm Tsubaki. Kilik, who did you bring with you?" A young woman with long, black hair approached them with a gentle smile and held out her hand. Rudy grabbed it and motioned to herself and Agnes.

"I'm Rudy, this is my sister, Agnes. We're new in town, we just joined NOT! class. We met Kilik the other day on the way into town."

"Oh, where did you come from?"

"Southern China." Agnes' quiet voice reached her ears and Tsubaki found her smile widening. While China and Japan weren't the friendliest countries, Tsubaki's family was closer to their traditions. The two girls began to chat about different foods, as Tsubaki was a bit of a chef. Rudy was enamored by the descriptions of food, until Black*Star butted in again.

"Tsubaki, are you trying to take my spotlight? I'll just have to challenge you to a game of basketball! Pick your teams, me and Tsubaki are captains. Loser has to cook me dinner for a week!"

"But, Black*Star, I usually cook..." She sighed as he began to cackle again. Rudy chose Black*Star's team, and Agnes teamed with Tsubaki and Kilik(the Pots sitting on the sideline). There were other people on each team, a boy with black hair (and three white stripes on half of his head), and a boy with white hair were on Rudy's team, and two blondes -who Agnes assumed were sisters- was on Agnes' team. Rudy punched her palm before opening her mouth as the ball flew into the air.

"Oh! We don't know how to play basketball!"

It happened fast, and no one heard her. The game continued and eventually Rudy had the ball. She held it tight and shoved past Tsubaki before side-stepping and spinning around her sister, and dunking it.

"Whoa- that is totally not how you play basketball!"

"Yeah, that's not a point! That should be a counter-point!"

"What, no, that's cheating!"

Kilik and Black*Star argued for a solid few minutes before Tsubaki finally broke them up. She convinced them that they could just run over the rules for the girls; Black*Star argued that if they couldn't play, they should go home. Kilik was almost embarrassed because he had brought two noobs. But once again, Tsubaki spoke sense.

"They're from rural China, of course they've never played basketball." Tsubaki glossed over a few of the basic rules showing them a proper dribble and traveling, before they were sure they could handle it.

"Alright, we can try this again. Ready?" She threw the ball into the air and Kilik smacked it towards Agnes, who jumped to meet it in the air. She grabbed it and with a sudden arch, she threw it with all her might to the other end of the court, where it went straight into the net.

Black*Star was surprised by the 180 in their forms. His gaze travelled from Agnes to Rudy, who was clenching her jaw; her eyes were filled with ire, her hands balled into fists at her sides. It was very quiet for a moment before they heard Rudy speak up in a gravelly voice, completely different from her normal, bouncy-tone.

"Pass me that. This is personal."

At the end of their match, Black*Star's team had won because of his aggressiveness on the court, but he almost lost to Agnes' tenacity. The two teams decided to go back to Black*Star's for dinner, since Tsubaki had wanted to cook with Agnes to learn her recipes. On their way back, Rudy struck up a conversation with the white-haired male, Soul.

"So, Soul, is everyone here in EAT class?"

"Yeah, usually my partner is here too but she's still in the hospital."

They continued to talk about his partner, whose name was Maka, and Rudy got the strong impression that they were hopelessly in love. Either way, Soul convinced her that Maka was not only perfect, but he also convinced her that there was no one who could beat her. He told her about the Kishin, Asura, and their recent battle with him. Rudy was in awe at his recap of the entire event, to which the others -excluding Kilik- added their input from taking part in the battle.

It didn't take very long for her to grow irritated with Black*Star, either. Every time a new conversation cropped up, he would interject with stories of his greatness. Rudy also began to realize that she was cut off the most frequently - and usually with scathing comments. It seemed that the self-proclaimed assassin didn't quite care for her.

They also were formally introduced to Death the Kid and his twin pistols, Patti and Liz Thompson. As Rudy continued to listen to their recount, suddenly Kid was right in front of her. Their noses were touching as his golden eyes bored into her own. She felt fear for a second before she saw his eyes begin to water as he grabbed her face, taking another long moment before turning to her sister and doing the same thing.

He collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from his nose and mouth. Patti fell over as well, though peels of laughter escaped her as she kicked her feet into the air. Liz looked at each girl before sighing and pressing her hand to her forehead.

"Damn, your freckles aren't symmetrical. Sorry guys, but we gotta get Kiddo here home before he decides to Sharpie on more. Good game though!" Patti hoisted him over her shoulder and the two waved goodbye as they dragged the reaper back home. Rudy couldn't help but think that it was the strangest thing, and it only became stranger as the rest of the group continued on without a care in the world.

"Is, is he gonna be ok?"

"It happens to him all the time. He's got this bad OCD about symmetry. He'll be ok later, he just likes to steal the spotlight." Black*Star supplied an answer for her, and she felt slightly more at ease. The tone he was taking with her before seemed to vanish, and she hoped it meant that his petty anger was no longer an issue. He dropped his voice down before he spoke again.

"You can't hide it from me."

"W-what?" She felt a cold sweat break out. They hadn't broken any rules yet, had they? Rudy was so nervous for him to continue, unsure of what his response would be. What did he know? Had they been compromised?

"You think you can eat more of Tsubaki's food than I can. But that's where you're wrong! I will devour the entire Earth!"

"Oh, you think I can't hold my own? Challenge accepted, be prepared to lose."

Tsubaki unlocked their front door and the two wrestled to get in and take a seat at the table, sitting down at the same exact time. Their glares were becoming corporeal and they were clashing over the table as the rest of their group lounged around the living room, lazily chatting as Agnes and Tsubaki began to prepare meals. Tsubaki had prepared for Kilik and Black*Star's appetite, and she seemed to have plenty of food.

Until she began to serve.

Everything that touched the table was gone the instant she turned back to see if they needed seconds. Black*Star and Rudy had seven bowls and twelve plates stacked up, and soon it began to grow dark. Kilik and the twins rose, having been chatting with Agnes, Soul, and some limited conversation with the Pots and Tsubaki.

"Sorry guys, I gotta get these two home. They've got homework to do." Kilik stretched and bid goodbye to everyone, telling Rudy (who acknowledged with a nod of her head before shoveling food into her mouth again) and Agnes that they should come by and play ball again sometime. The Pots grudgingly stood from their spots beside him, and the Pot of Fire walked over and hugged Agnes' legs again. She paused in her cooking to lean down and return the hug, and she noticed the child-like shamans rubbing their eyes sleepily. They trudged towards the door, where Kilik was waiting for them, and he picked both of them up. They were immediately asleep, and he closed the door with a soft click.

Soul left soon after, telling them that Blair would kill him if he wasn't home by the time she was, but Rudy was sure he was _really _going to see Maka before going home. He had admitted to being concerned for her, as she still hadn't woken up after sleeping for the entire past two weeks.

Rudy was still eating after her eighteenth plate, which is when Black*Star fell back with a hand on his stomach, completely passed out. She laughed aloud as she finished her twentieth plate and seventeenth bowl before she, too, fell back and yawned. She closed her eyes, ready for a long nap.

"Oh, they seem to have fallen asleep." Agnes sighed in relief. They hadn't had a chance to eat yet, as they had continued cooking on and off for the past few hours. There had been snacking and sampling, but the house was now quiet and they could enjoy a meal together.

Tsubaki served Agnes, sitting down by Black*Star. The broke apart their chopsticks and began to eat; occassionally, they would comment on each other's sides; Tsubaki hadn't rubbed a leaf or two when preparing kimchi, and Agnes' tonkatsu was way over-cooked. But they had enjoyed cooking together.

"Hey, Tsubaki... Tell me, how did you end up with Black*Star?"

"I was the first weapon in my family to attend the academy. The Nakatsukasa clan is a renowned family, known for our versatile weapon forms. Usually, the first-born son is gifted with the abilities; smoke bomb, ninja sword, and kusarigama. But I was given these abilities instead of my brother. My first few days were rough - I couldn't find a single partner capable of working with me...

"But one day, I had been running late - and as I climbed the stairs, do you know what I hear? 'Look at me, I am the greatest! I will surpass god! Look at me, I can do anything!' and I listened to the whole thing, I missed an hour of class, too. But someone who could get up and say all those things - and keep saying them, _believing _them, when no one else would listen... I needed that. It just kinda worked out for us." Tsubaki seemed a bit flustered at Agnes' reaction; the meister was leaning forward on the table, her elbows propping her up. Her eyes had a mischievous twinkle in them - she looked strangely like Rudy did when she was up to something.

"That sounds so... Nice. Sadly, I was stuck with this sap since day one." She sighed and sat back down, finishing the last bits of food on her plate. Tsubaki laughed before taking up their plates. Agnes watched her rinse them and thought about what she had said, a small smile on her face. She stood up and joined her friend at the sink.

"Let's clean up, Tsubaki. I guess we have to take care of these two." Tsubaki chuckled as they began to put the few leftovers in containers and washed the dishes before Agnes hoisted her sister over her shoulder and left the apartment. After two hours of wandering, she somehow managed to find her way back to their apartment. Lazily kicking the door shut, she eyed the clock on the stove and saw the time was 11:08. She groaned, something she never did, before opening their bedroom door and throwing her sister onto a bed and soon she was laying on her own unfamiliar bed, falling asleep as she tried to plan for the coming weeks.


	4. IMAGINARY ENEMIES

IMAGINARY ENEMIES

set 3 weeks 4 days after Asura

* * *

><p>Agnes eyed the blade in her hand; a sleek katana, swirling with power. She gave it an experimental swing downwards before sliding into an attack position, transitioning into a defensive position. She wiggled her fingers around on the hilt, trying to get a better grasp on it when she heard a bubble of laughter.<p>

"Don't wiggle your fingers, it tickles!"

"Shut up, I'm trying to focus. You're so much smaller in this form." Agnes felt the energy shift in the blade; the weapon glowed, a bulkier sword in place.

It was a good five inches longer than the katana, the jagged edge made sharper by the wind properties. It was a light blue, glowing between the plate-like blades that made up the cutting edge. There was a petrified skull at the handle, eyes glowing the same blue. The mouth was curled downwards in a grimace, but Agnes saw the corners of its mouth twist upwards with a smile. This was Rudy's soul.

Agnes tossed the larger sword between her hands before Rudy turned back into a katana. A few more experimental swings, balancing it on her palm - Rudy's voice startled her back to reality.

"I feel like I've been crammed into a tiny box. Are we done training?" She stuck the blade into the ground and after a blue-ish glow, Rudy was standing before her again. Stretching, she pouted at her sister. Agnes, as usual, ignored the plight of her younger sister -and her cowardice, as she was sure Rudy was going to say let's go home again- and turned away from her. They had been in NOT! class for almost two weeks, and to be fair, it was draining. Agnes acted clumsily as a meister, and Rudy never could fully transform - either she had no blade or she had no hilt. They were fitting in well among the students.

But what were they expected to do at this point?

Agnes told Rudy that they had to be ready, they had to keep training and progressing in private. The pair was still adamant on not joining EAT class. So here they were, on the outskirts of the desert in the wooded area designated for academy training. The sisters were able to walk through the desert now, able to stave off the draining effects. Kilik had promised them it would get easier the longer they were there, and he had been right.

"Oh, what time is it!" Agnes rarely lost composure, but the look on her face was of panic. Rudy's eyes got a little wider as her internal clock told her they were more than most likely late for their game of basketball with their friends. They ran out of the woods and into the sands, hoping they hadn't started the game without them.

* * *

><p>"They're late again? Let's just start the game!"<p>

"Black*Star, calm down. We don't even have two full teams yet."

The ninja huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, but said no more as Tsubaki assured him that the girls would be there soon. The dark arm also wondered why they were late almost every time, but she assumed that they were still prone to getting lost in the spiralling city. Tsubaki recalled when she had first arrived; the culture shock, the confusing layout of a bustling city. Everything was so different from her home, and she knew they must be struggling.

Kilik and the Pots seemed to be a bit antsy as they paced the court together before he snapped his fingers.

"I'm gonna go see if they're home."

"Hey! We're here!" Rudy stopped a bit behind Agnes and hunched over, trying to catch her breath. Agnes was jogging over to the group with a small smile on her face.

"Sorry we made you wait."

"Oh, it's alright. We're actually waiting for Soul and Maka, too. She's allowed out of the hospital for a few hours today."

Rudy stood up straight, excited to meet the girl that Soul spoke of so fondly. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of someone - clad in all black. She turned quickly to see who it was and they shrunk back, a nervous look on their face. Soul and a pretty, young girl walked up beside the figure, a smile playing at the girl's lips.

"Hey guys, we brought Crona. Is that alright?"

Black*Star clapped them on the back, a grin on his face. He began to go on and on about how lucky Crona was to be able to bask in his presence, and Agnes watched them inch away from the boy. They weren't exactly scared, but just unused to so many people.

Maka approached the siblings, holding out a hand. Rudy grasped it tightly and smiled back at the girl, and Maka turned to Agnes to greet her as well. Something lingered on Rudy's hand for a split moment, and a shared look with her sister told her that this wasn't just a coincidence. Rudy immediately began to chat with Maka, asking her about her partnership with Soul and asking her about her meister training. The two seemed to hit it off.

This time, Kid and Soul were the team captains. Soul, Black*Star, Agnes, and Patti made up the first team. Kid, Kilik, Rudy, Liz, and Crona made up the second. Maka, being fresh out from the hospital, took the bench and cheered for her friends, calling out encouraging words to Crona. Rudy couldn't help but slide into place beside the mysterious meister, wanting to get aquainted with the only person she didn't know.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Her core went cold as pure black bubbled from their back and Ragnarok was in her face. Her immediate reaction was to shove the weapon away, startled by their sudden appearence. They pushed her back and she cocked her head to the side. Her investigation would have to wait as Liz had passed her the ball. Rudy ducked around her sister and threw the ball back towards Crona, who had that skittish look about them again.

Crona surprised her when they defended against Black*Star's brutal offense and they even managed to get the ball to Kid, who scored a point.

Yes, Rudy would have to find out more about Crona.

Things continued like this for the girls, meeting up with the EAT students to play a round or two of basketball. Ever since their first day in the city, everyone had welcomed them warmly and accepted them in their activities. Soul and Maka had taken them to Death Bucks, recommending they apply for a job in order to keep cash flowing.

Two weeks had passed since their first night in the strange new city. They trained between school and friends, and they slowly found that they had interests outside of each other. Agnes liked to invite Tsubaki over to cook, and Tsubaki promised to help them furnish their house once her and Black*Star caught a single kishin egg. Rudy liked to galavant around town with Black*Star, finding herself drawn to not only his physical strength, but his character. This often lead to short interactions with Death the Kid, who quickly figured out that the weapon held ill-feelings towards him.

Either way, she feigned friendliness whenever others were around, but something about her was a bit off to the reaper. He ignored this feeling every time it popped up.

Currently, the sisters were training in the forest again. Their class was in a few hours, so they figured they had plenty of time to kill by practicing katas. Agnes and Rudy had already perfected soul resonance and were working on summoning the Witch Hunter, which seemed to be just outside of their grasp. She tried it one more time before giving up, going back to a series of katas.

"That's pretty impressive, considering it's informal training. Thinking of joining EAT class?"

Death the Kid popped out of the shadow of a tree, startling Agnes into dropping her sister. Rudy immediately transformed back and if he didn't know better, he could swear he saw her glaring at him before a smile replaced it.

"Me and Agnes have been trying really hard, we think we can do it!"

"How far are you, exactly?"

"Oh, I can transform and we can almost resonate, but we aren't much passed that." Agnes allowed her sister to continue; after all, Rudy was a much better liar than she. Agnes hoped that Kid would leave and forget about this, but something told her that the reaper never trusted them to begin with; as such, it would be much harder to talk their way out of this one.

Kid's eyes narrowed before he closed them. Upon opening them he gave the pair a small, forced smile. Something was definitely wrong about their advancement. Didn't Soul mention that they were still trying to grasp the basics? Didn't he see Kilik trying to help them understand the simple transformation process, only for them to botch it?

All of these questions came together in his head and he was frustrated because there were no answers. These girls were as much an enigma as when they had first appeared. He turned away from them -not wanting more questions to pop up, and to avoid counting their freckles- and motioned for them to follow.

"Well, let's get you enrolled in the proper class, then. It seems like we need to talk to my father."

Agnes shot her sister a look that promised pain, and Rudy hung her head. They had grossly miscalculated the competency of this reaper.


	5. A PRESSING ENGAGEMENT

A PRESSING ENGAGEMENT

1 month 1 week after Asura

* * *

><p>Maka stood up from the bench and began to shuffle her papers before putting them in her binder. She was trying to take her time leaving, as Justin Law had told her that he would meet her here for more training today. She was nervous more than anything, but she couldn't help but be excited. What was he going to start with, would he expect her to know what she was doing?<p>

"Hey, Maka, you there?" Soul waved a hand in front of her face and his head was quickly met with a book as she Maka Chopped him. He rubbed the spot, irritated and frowning, before she pulled him close to her face. He could swear he was blushing and he was also positive that he heard Rudy snickering somewhere in the classroom.

"I'm supposed to start my training today, but I was told to keep it a secret." Soul recalled that they had both been invited to an outing with Tsubaki, Rudy, and Agnes -probably so Tsubaki could pick up more authentic Chinese recipes- and realized she was bailing on them. His frown deepened, unhappy that she couldn't see her friends now that she was healed, but turned around and waved her off regardless. She was his meister, and while he couldn't help her through her current issues, he was sure that the more experienced weapon could.

"Yeah, alright. I'll see you at home, then." Soul made his way down the steps and met Tsubaki; the meister-weapon duo had told them to meet at their place this time, finally inviting their friends into their home.

Maka watched as the two left the class, being the last to leave. The silence was almost too much until the door creaked open and Justin Law poked his head in. Professor Stein quirked an eyebrow before greeting the guillotine.

"Hello, Stein! I'm here to retrieve Maka for some training."

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Lord Death mentioned something about that. Well, it's not like class is in session anymore." Stein was mostly talking to himself as Justin had preoccupied himself with shouting about the greatness of his Lord, until Maka got his attention.

"Where are we going?"

"Why, this classroom should do! I don't plan to start with anything overly tedious; just a simple breathing exercise. You said you can't feel the weapon presence in you?" Maka nodded at him and he showed her the position she should stand in; feet shoulder-width apart, neck extended and head level. He told her to close her eyes and begin and when he returned, they would begin the next step. Stein had chosen that moment to leave, and was shortly followed by Justin.

He was heading to the library. There was something in the back of his head, some long-forgotten history lesson about weapon-meister blood. He needed to find the proper material before continuing her training. After all, what if something went wrong?

* * *

><p>One week ago, Justin Law had delved into all the library had to offer on weapon-meister blood, about how to control one side or the other, how to unite them, how to diffuse them. Everything he read was fascinating and helped him sculpt a better training regiment for Maka, but one book had brought him here.<p>

Carved deep into the mountains, Arachnophobia's last hidden base was smaller than he had anticipated. The enterance was almost too small to accomodate him, but he managed to slip through. As he wandered the long, winding corridors, he was constantly noting little details in case he needed to beat a hasty retreat. The spacing of the lanterns in one hallway was slightly different than another's. As he made one more left, he came across what appeared to be a large dining table, adorned with red, cushioned chairs. The table itself was a dark oak, probably stained from time. His eyes flickered to his left before allowing his guard to drop. They had found him.

A small man with a large top hat stood before him. He had looked for Mosquito specifically, knowing that while the man was short-tempered and now leaderless, his knowledge was still available for picking through.

It wasn't common knowledge, but as a death scythe, Justin knew that Arachne was the one that made the first weapons, well over 800 years ago. The book he had read chronicled a tedious process, and he wasn't sure if he fully understood it - if anyone would, it would be those who had been there.

"Well, if it isn't one of Lord Death's pets."

"Why, Mosquito, it's a pleasure to see you. How is your organization doing?" Mosquito growled at him and his nose stabbed towards Justin, but he evaded it easily. The smile on his face was ever-present, easy-going and Mosquito felt his temper flare. How dare this brat stroll in here like it was nothing? After the fall of his beloved Lady Arachne, Mosquito had done what he could to keep the dwindling numbers of Arachnophobia from falling further, in hopes of his Lady's return. He hadn't anticipated that this _child _would approach him with taunting words and a mocking smile, to add insult to injury.

"I'm actually here on business."

"What business would the esteemed Lord Death have with us?" Mosquito sneered at him, and the death scythe's smile began to diminish.

"This isn't his business. I'm here because I discovered this book in our library, and I merely came to check its credibility." He handed the book to Mosquito, who snatched the leathery tome from his hands. He opened the pages and began to read the first few lines. His mouth tightened as he snapped the book closed, a quiver found its way into his voice. How had he gotten his hands on a copy of this secret tome, why did the _DWMA _have a copy of it? Did Lord Death think this weapon's bedtime story credible? Even if it was presented as a myth, Mosquito knew there was truth to it. His Lady had told him all about them.

Justin noticed the delicate way he handled the book, the way he turned it over in his hands once or twice. He was familiar with it, and he slowly handed it back to him. Justin Law reached out to grab it, and noticed Mosquito still gripping it. He made eye contact with the shorter man, noticing a seriousness that made this all the more interesting. He hadn't expected a solemn reaction like this one.

"The only person who would know anything about this would be that trashy, insolent child. Giriko."

"Where might I find him?"

Justin Law remembered his first time coming to this ruddy village; Lord Death had requested back-up for Maka Albarn and Crona Gorgon, the latter's first mission with the school. Everything was eerily the same, even the strange looks each of the enchanters tossed his way, when they could be bothered. He walked through their small village, side-stepping the golems when they seemed as though they would run him down.

He noticed that there was dirt collecting on the hem of his robes, and felt a frown dig itself into his face. He would have to wash everything -even his motorcycle- once he got back to Death City.

"What the _fuck_? I can't believe this, after the day I just had, I run into you?" He lifted his arm into the air, a blade shooting out of it just in time to block Giriko's chainsaw blade attack that came from overhead. Even this was still the same - the monotony of his brutish attacks would never cease to amaze the young weapon.

"I asked Mosquito to point me in your direction," Justin replied cooly, dodging another attack that he could remember from their previous fights. Giriko seemed to be irritated with this answer and lunged back at him again.

"I told you the last time we met that I would finish this the next time we met. And you decide to come _here _and start a fight? I'll rip you into pieces, and then I'll rip _those _pieces into pieces, and I'll put them in boxes and send them to all of your loved ones. You'll find no mercy in me today."

It was strange to hear such pure anger in his voice; but it was certainly more amusing than his bumbling, vulgar vocabulary. Giriko turned up the power of his blades, digging up tons of dirt and emulcifying trees. Justin Law dodged each attack - though the settling debris made it hard to see. He covered his eyes as they began to sting, and he heard Giriko coming fast on his left.

The dust was disrupted by the activation of his chains, and they ground against Justin's blade. He increased the pressure, looking down manically at the death scythe.

Justin managed to push Giriko back, and as he made to come at the guillotine again, Justin threw a book at his feet. He looked warily at the other weapon, who waited patiently for him to lean down and pick up the tome that he had not seen in over 700 years.

"Where do you get off- holy shit, there's no way you- _where did you find this_?" Giriko's eyes were wide, and he dared not open the pages. His voice had gone from a vicious snarl - to vulgar amazement - to a quiet wonder, something Justin had actually not anticipated.

"I found it in our library at the DWMA." Giriko's eyes flickered up to meet Justin's as he tucked the book into his waistline, before fixing him with a murderous glare. This bastard was interrupting his down time - he had left Mosquito only a few weeks ago, and now this freak had shown up on his doorstep with a relic from a past that was long gone? Someone who was asking about _this _book would only really want to know one thing - the only step that was missing from the book, four or five lines blurred out and erased by time, was the most important. He could say that he never thought Justin Law, of all his enemies and of all the people he had known, would bring him this book seeking that same knowledge.

His reaction was much less controlled than Mosquito's, but it was similar. Justin Law was now sure of his plans and their success.

"I would like yours and Mosquito's help in this. I have the means, you have the knowledge, and he has the way."

He felt an intense rage fill him, his heart pounding in his chest. He dropped the book as his eyes narrowed, and he attacked Justin again. He almost caught the death scythe off guard, but he was trapped in a shackle guard before being slammed violently into the ground. He laid there for a moment before Justin Law dropped down on him, his elbow jamming into Giriko's stomach and knocking the wind out of him. He stood up and dusted himself off, waiting for the other weapon's reaction.

Giriko didn't want anything to do with this bastard, but he wasn't going to sit around like he had been for the past few weeks. He needed to get moving.

"Any other time, I would say hell no. But, in all my years, I have never been this surprised. I gotta know, though, how do you have the means?" The grin that spread across Justin's face was kishin-level, and the shadows swirled around his face in a ghastly way. He stood from the small crater he had created; Giriko could not stop his feet as the death scythe motioned for him to follow, and soon they were on their way back to the hide-out of Arachnophobia.

He regretted it as soon as he arrived.

Teaming up with his arch-enemy was rough enough - but to go back to a man you told to "fuck his own damn ass" was, well-

"I see you've brought back less than you arrived with." Justin Law felt Giriko's reply begin, so he held up a hand to hault their petty argument.

"Let's all sit down and review our information. Now that we had the author, it should be easier." They all sat down at the large table, setting the novel in the middle.

"I'm surprised you can read, much less write." Mosquito said haughtily, peering down his long nose at the ancient weapon.

"You arrogant bastard," Giriko spat back, his chains appearing and beginning to rev.

"Children, I thought we agreed to work together." Both parties grumbled irately, before returning to the task at hand. Justin still had that smile in place, as unsettling as both men remembered.

Giriko reached out and ran his finger along his old hand-writing, hardly legible after so many years of changing hands. He was surprised that no one had found it before now, but he once again remembered that Justin Law, as one of his toughest opponents, would be able to pull this off if they could find the key factors; twin blades that were hidden by Arachne herself.

"You both know the legend, right?"

"Yes, two children imbuned with the kishin's own madness. They were cast into the center of the Earth, until a kishin rose to wield them. We all know the fairy tale," Giriko struggled to not reach out and cut off Mosquito's head, but Justin Law's bloodlust was vaguely noted; he knew Justin would then probably kill him as well.

"Yes, what does this have to do with anything, Giriko?"

He rubbed a hand over his face in irritation, before growling out a 'shut up' to both of them. Justin's smile grew slightly and Mosquito continued to glare at him down that long, digusting nose.

"It isn't a legend. There were two blades; one of fire, and one of wind. They are of legendary power. Anyone who wields both swords will become a mindless, madness-creating machine. This is the missing step - the reason why there were no more kishins before or after Asura. These blades choose their kishin, and can control their mind."

"But no one has ever seen these blades. How do we know they're real?"

"Because I helped Arachne create them." Justin leaned back in his chair, trying to process all of this information. So, there _were _two impossibly powerful blades that had the power to destroy a person's mind. They were _real_. He began to grin, thinking of the possibilities. He shook the thoughts from his mind, drawing back to his research from earlier in the week.

"How would we create a kishin from a meister with weapon blood? As you can see, they are the only lines that are completely gone from this book."

"It would work better if someone they trusted did it - probably during a soul resonance. Forcibly pulling out the weapon blood would shock the meister's soul, cracking it and causing madness. They wouldn't become a kishin -that's what the blades are for- but they would be in a better position for their influence."

Mosquito had stayed oddly quiet, trying to understand all of this. Justin Law, a death scythe of the DWMA, one of Lord Death's _right hands, _had gathered himself and the punk Giriko into an unsteady alliance to bring the entire world crashing down into madness. He remembered Lady Arachne telling him about the blades, and each word that Giriko spoke were exactly the ones she had spoken to him.

"But where are the blades now? Asura rose months ago. Did they, too, rise?" He broke his silence, voicing his thoughts. If they had no idea where the blades were, than wouldn't all of this planning be moot?

"If they did rise with him, as they should have, they would have risen around where we tossed 'em." Giriko seemed to rustle a few papers around on the table before pulling out the huge map at the bottom. He seemed to think for a few moments before pointing his finger to China, somewhere near the border of Vietnam and Laos.

"They'da popped up around here, I think."

An image popped to the front of Mosquito's mind, not of two powerful blades, not of two hulking men-

But of two young girls, one quiet and the other rowdy. He recalled Arachne telling him to watch over them in the event that the kishin's revival didn't go as planned. He remembered the sadness in their eyes when he told them that Arachne was dead, but that she had wanted to send them to a school in the United States. He had sent them there without question. He scoured his mind for their names before he stood up on his chair. Justin and Giriko gave him their undivided attention as he quietly uttered their names.

Justin's grin spread again, as the plan came together in his mind. Yes, this was going to work.


	6. DON'T TOY WITH ME ON A WHIM

DON'T TOY WITH ME ON A WHIM

one month and two weeks after Asura

* * *

><p>"Maka, you gotta wake up." Soul was shaking her shoulder, and she hissed at him from under the covers. He pulled his hand back, fearful he had induced her wrath. He knew she was a bit slow to get up in the mornings, and so before she could grab a book he started explaining himself.<p>

"Justin Law just came by to tell us that we have to meet him where you normally train."

"We?" She was sitting up now, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Maka still wore her hair in buns to sleep, and Soul found himself smiling at her state of disarray. She stood up, making him retreat to the threshold of her room. She was stretching, trying to wake herself up before she turned around at breakneck speed, her bun holders falling off. Her eyes were wide like she had been caught stealing from the cookie jar.

"Justin wants us to _what_?" She screeched. Soul opened his mouth to reply, but he was instead met with a pillow to his face. Maka was yelling at him to get out of her room so she could get changed, and he rolled his eyes before taking his leave. He heard something suspiciously like a book hit the door as he walked into their small living room, and he waited for her to get ready.

It must have been the fastest she's ever gotten dressed, because Maka came flying out of her room before he could even glance at the clock impatiently. She was ushering him out the front door before stopping again, looking confused.

"Wait, why does he want you to come?"

Soul only shrugged in reply, as the death scythe hadn't given him a reason. Maka crossed her arms and looked at him, irritated at his lack of an answer. Soul calmly reminded her that Justin had stopped by over an hour ago before seeing the panic flash through her eyes as she, once again, began corraling him. He stopped at one point, asking where exactly they were even headed before she gave him that same look of irritation - he grabbed her hand and pulled her to where he had parked his bike, and suddenly his questions weren't just to hold them up. She hopped on it more readily than he could ever recall -she thought it was dangerous, especially without helmets- and they were zooming through the city.

They arrived only twenty minutes later, in the forest that dotted the desert. He left his bike by the biggest tree he could find before wandering off with Maka. He was also beginning to wonder why Justin Law wanted him at Maka's training sessions, which were still supposed to be private. They came across him, sitting on his own bike and waiting patiently. When he realized they were there, he stood up and began addressing them excitedly. Soul held up a hand, which made him stop. Maka looked like she was ready to beat him for interrupting.

"Yeah, that's nice and all, but do you mind telling me what_ I'm _doing here?"

"Why, yes! You see, Maka seems to be having trouble accessing her weapon soul. Since she had an established connection with you, I decided to involve you in her training!"

"That still doesn't explain what my purpose is."

"I'll have you work with her through resonace, and while you two are connected, you will go into her soul and begin to pull out the weapon side. Since you are also a weapon, you should be able to find it with relative ease. However, it can't be pulled out all at once or else she will never be able to access it again, and it will strain her spirit. Do you understand?" Soul really, really wanted to comment back, but with the glare Maka was giving him and the low-key berating that Justin Law had just given him, he decided to keep it to himself. He simply nodded while the death scythe smiled at him. He looked between him and Maka before telling them to join him tomorrow for training. Justin Law beat a hasty retreat and Soul was wondering why he made it seem so urgent that they show up today if they weren't even going to train.

"Soul! We gotta get back to Death City!" Maka was already running back to his bike, and he struggled to keep up with her. She secured her arms around his waist before demanding that he hurry it up.

"Sheesh, what's so important?"

"Rudy and I had plans to meet... twenty minutes ago."

After returning home and redressing, Maka was distressed to see that she was an hour tardy to her meeting with her new friend. Cutting through alleys had her standing at the doors of Death Bucks within ten minutes, and she entered slowly. Scanning the tables, she saw Agnes -who seemed to have aquired a skirt, strappy heels, and even a pretty yellow blouse- sitting with Kilik Rung; the Pots sitting with them, coloring and blowing bubbles in their milk. When Kilik noticed Maka standing there, he waved her over.

"Hey, what brings you here?"

"I'm actually here to meet Rudy, but it looks like she left."

"No, she's late too. She said something about a quick meal before coming here." Agnes supplied an answer for her, sipping on a steaming cup of tea. At that moment, Rudy came barreling through the doors, her hair a mess and her breathing ragged. Rudy was wearing a pair of cut-off capri jeans and a purple shirt, but her usual tennis shoes. She looked around furiously, trying to see if Maka had arrived before her.

"Maka! I'm so sorry! I hope you didn't wait all this time!" Rudy was in front of her, bowing in apology.

"No, I only just got here. Good thing we were both late, I guess?"

"Then our outing is on me, since I arrived later - Agnes? What are you guys doing here? Are you on a date?" She grinned lecherously at the two, and while Kilik blushed and sputtered out a half-reply, Agnes simply sipped on her tea once more and set it down on the table before fixing her sister with a stare that made Rudy grimace.

"Fine, fine. I'll leave you alone. Come on Maka," the meister led Rudy to the outdoor seating, smoothing out her skirt once she sat down. Looking up, she could see that Rudy was staring at her, a small smile on her face. The two didn't get to interact very much, as Maka's new training was still a secret and Justin always seemed to request her when she had plans. However, the few times they came into contact, Maka couldn't help but feel more at ease in her presence. Agnes and Rudy seemed to have blended well into their group of friends.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to join me here today." It was something she hadn't exactly thought about, but Maka was curious. Their friends had planned a group hang-out within the next few days, as was customary, but Rudy had specifically asked for Maka to join her without Soul. One of the waitresses came to take their order, and once she left, Rudy leaned forward and rested her forearms on the table, lacing her fingers together.

"There's a lot we don't know about each other, and I think we'd make great friends. So I wanted to talk to you in private and get to know you." Rudy's genuine smile lifted her foul mood and Maka relented, deciding that safety training wasn't a taboo subject.

* * *

><p>A week later, Maka was feeling the strain.<p>

Every time they trained, it felt like he was tearing her soul out of her. Like there were ropes tangled around it, keeping it firmly in place, as he tried to coax it out of her. They were going as slow as possible, since Soul didn't want to risk harming her. Still, this training was brutal.

Their training was helping, as she was now able to turn two of her fingers into tiny, sharp blades. But she was wearing thin, and she was sleeping less. Her heart was hurting, and something deep inside her told her it wasn't just another trial to get through that would make her stronger.

She had forced herself awake on a Saturday morning, before Soul was up and right around the time Blair was getting back from a wild Friday evening. The powerful cat waved half-heartedly to Maka before falling face-first on the couch, fast asleep. Maka took one of the blankets from the back of the couch and laid it over Blair, knowing she tended to get cold while she slept. She snuggled into the blanket and there was a small smile on her face. There was a knock on the door, short and urgent. She scuttled over, the floor cold against her warm feet, and she opened it.

Black*Star was standing there, huffing like he had just run ten miles - which he probably _had, _but there were no routes he could have taken to pass by her house. He must have realized that as he started smiling at her and rubbing the back of his head, like he had already been caught.

"Hey, wanna come for a jog? And get this, I'm such a big guy, I'll even keep it at your pace." Black*Star had been the most worried about Maka after she fell into a coma - they had known each other their entire lives, and it wasn't like her to _not _be stubborn. He was still worried about her, even if he didn't know about her current training. He had a feeling that she was being stressed by something, and he thought that some mindless running would help set things straight. She smiled at him before opening the door a little more and letting him in.

"Yeah, I just gotta get dressed. And be quiet, everyone's still asleep!"

He covered his mouth to show his good intentions, but they were ruined when he saw Blair sleeping on the couch. As he opened his mouth to yell, it seemed the magical cat sensed it, as she transformed into her feline form. He frowned, disappointed at being thwarted by someone other than Tsubaki, when Maka emerged from her room. She had on black running shorts and a tight tank top, and she had her hair in a high ponytail.

She began to walk towards the door when he reached out and grabbed her arm. She turned to face him, and to her surprise, he was looking away.

"Maka, are you good? Like, no one's messing with you, right? Cause if they are, you can tell me, I'll take care of it. I mean, you've been acting weird lately -you're always really weird- and-" There was no noise, no movement to indicate it. She whipped a book out from nowhere and whacked him on the head. It happened every now and then - he would start rambling and get off topic. He did it when he got nervous; all he knew how to do was talk, so when in doubt, keep talking.

"I'm fine, you nerd. I've been training a lot, is all."

"What the hell, you got special training? Maka, let me in on that!" He was shaking her shoulders and shouting so loud that her ears rang. The book was back, and he was on the ground again from another Maka Chop. He groaned before sitting up, and she was glaring at him.

"Sleeping!" He nodded before letting her help him stand up, and they were out the door.

He really didn't have any idea where he wanted to run to, so he let Maka take the lead this time. She kept turning suddenly, and when she stopped to take a breath, they were in the sprawling town that situated itself around Death City. He didn't need to take the break, but he stopped with her.

"Why did you come by?"

"A star's gotta watch out for his worshippers, right? Now dude, tell me more about this special training." He flexed, trying to make it nonchalant that he had low-key admitted to being worried about her. She let it slide, knowing that he didn't do well with emotions - especially negative ones. She told him to take the lead, and as they ran she told him all about the work she had been doing; how far she had gotten in a transformation, Soul's recent involvement. She struggled to keep up as they ran around the town before ascending the spiral road back up. He stopped outside of his house, bending over to take a few gulps of air before standing up straight to look at Maka.

She was sweaty, and looked a mess, but there was something in her eyes that seemed relieved. He gave her a thumbs up before turning around to head up the stairs.

"Wait, are you done already?"

"Eh, I kinda ditched Tsubaki this morning to come get you. Now I gotta wake her up so we can go run some more!" She knew he was grinning by the sound of his voice and she just smiled at his back as he went up to his door, before she turned around to begin the walk home.

She passed the yarn store, the purse store, and the pillow shop. It wasn't a route that she took often, but the curio store was at the end of this long chain of strange comfort shops. She was almost surprised that it was open so early, but decided to chalk it up to luck. She entered, noticing the stale smell of potpurri and incense as she lingered around the snowglobes and jewelry boxes. One caught her eye and she reached up to grab it, but there was another hand already taking the box off of the shelf. She turned around, an arguument on her lips, but it died as her eyes looked up into a dark shade of green.

"Maka, I thought I'd find you here. Great minds think alike!" Kami Albarn was exactly as Maka remembered her - her dark, green eyes and her curly blonde hair, the laugh lines, even the little scar on the corner of her mouth. This was her mother. She was shocked, unable to form words, as Kami picked her up and spun her around, laughing as she did so.

"I'm so happy to see you, Maka!"

"Momma, what are you doing here?" Her tone was flat, and Kami quirked an eyebrow. Maka was happy to see her mother, but why now? Why here, in this rinky curio shop in Death City? She had hoped it would have been a bit more meaningul, a bit more memorable. But there it was again. That small morsel of disappointment, worming its way into her chest.

"Well, Maka, I came here to take you home with me."

* * *

><p>Of all things she wanted, this was not it. Kami Albarn was sitting in Maka and Soul's living room, sipping a cup of coffee that Blair had conjured for her. Kami was eyeing the cat warily, the witch's hat discomforting to any meister who didn't know her. Soul set down a tray of cookies, cream, and sugar, when she pulled him down to sit. This was also something that Maka had wanted to avoid, her mother meeting her partner.<p>

It wasn't that she was worried that Soul would leave her for Kami, but she knew her mother was a better meister. And while Maka could never escape that, she had wanted to keep the gravity of it from Soul. She always talked about how strong her mother was, but she never told him that she was bothered by it. Not for the fact that it was her mother, but there was someone out there who could wield Soul if they had to - it was someone else he could form a bond to, and in all honesty, she wanted to keep that number to a minumum.

"Is this your partner?"

"Yeah, his name is Soul."

"Soul, tell me about yourself. What kind of boy has been living with my daughter?" The look she was giving him could only be described as critical. He recognized the look from Maka, like she was expected him to answer incorrectly. Thankfully, Blair stepped in for him.

"Soul and Maka are my precious little kittens! All they ever do is work, work, work! They never have any time to play with me anymore." Blair pouted and Maka reached over to stroke her, and she knew her mother was irritated that Soul hadn't answered her. Her mouth was a thin line and she opened it to sip the last of her coffee before fixing Soul with a big smile.

"Well, if you won't tell me about yourself, mind if I take a peek at your soul?" Before he could formulate an answer in his head, he could feel her eyes roaming around him. He hated the way it felt, and a quick glance at Maka showed that she wasn't happy about her mother's intrusive behavior. He saw a quick frown marr her features before she covered it up again by turning to Maka, who had called out to her.

"Mama, why are you here again? I thought you were out seeing the world."

"Well, I missed you so much that I had to come back. And, I knew you must be going crazy with your father." Maka couldn't deny that Spirit was a constant bother, but her mother's appearence was much more irritating than her father.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Soul was up and opening before anyone could say anything, and it revealed Spirit on the other side. He was trying to pose cooly, but had failed to realize the door was open. His back was facing them as he muttered to himself.

"If Kami's here, how will I ever see my precious Maka again?" Kami frowned deeply before joining Soul at the door. She closed it swiftly before joining Maka on the couch again, as if nothing had happened. Kami was telling Maka all about her travels when Soul opened the door again and for the first time, he invited the older man in. He would much rather listen to Spirit's mindless prattling than Kami's elusive answers.

"Well, Kami, you're looking lovely as always."

"Oh, Spirit, begging was never a good look on you." Her reply was cold and Soul saw where Maka got her death stares. He was absolutely positive that Death Scythe had just died in front of him, but when the man began to walk again, he was amazed. Kami's aura screamed 'get away' but Spirit sat down adjacent to Maka, beside Blair.

"So, what brings you to Death City?" His voice was small, and Soul was sweating bullets. He wondered who would leave first - Kami, out of irritation, or Spirit, in a body bag.

"I came here for my daughter. It was time she was raised by someone competent." He could see the pain in Spirit's eyes, because as much as anyone could agree that Spirit wasn't the best father, he had always looked after Maka. He hoped this arguing would stop soon. He could remember when his parents fought, and he knew it couldn't be easy for Maka to watch.

"Where do you plan on raising her?"

"Isn't it obvious? Away from you."

Maka stood up, her eyes wide as she stared at her mother. "You don't mean... I have to leave Death City?" At Kami's nod, Maka sat back down. It seemed like her knees gave out more than her voluntarily sitting back beside Kami, and it was quiet in the room for a few moments before she began to object.

"No way."

"Excuse me?" Spirit and Kami spoke in tandem, resulting in that same ire being directed towards him. Soul took a step forward, not sure where the sudden outburst came from. But these past few weeks had him thinking more and more about Maka and him being separated. The thought itself was preposterious, but the actual notion of other people considering it really ticked him off.

"Maka hasn't had any say in this. While I'm sure that in your cozy little adult world where you do whatever you like, it's logical to put more stress on her than there already is, and you're also effectively cutting her off from everything familiar. You might be her mom, but I'm her partner and as far as I'm concerned, Maka isn't going anywhere without me."

Kami's mouth was open, ready to tear him apart with every word uttered, when Maka stood up. She was clenching her fists, her head bowed the entire time, before she raised her eyes to meet with Soul's. He was still standing between the kitchen and the living room, and he was the only thing she could look at without getting angry.

"I'm not leaving. This is my home. Whether you like it or not, I'm not going to become part of your life, mama. You'll have to become part of mine; these are my friends, this place is my home." Kami's eyes went through a series of emotions, half of which were displayed openly. The first one was disbelief, and it left her silent for a solid two minutes. The second or third emotion, anger, fell across her face like a veil. She stood up, almost too fast, before she leaned down and grabbed Maka's arm. It wasn't hard, but it was still firm enough for Maka to turn her glare onto her mother.

"I've been doing fine without you and without papa. Soul and I live together. I want to stay with him, and Blair!"

"You are legally-"

"You're just trying to force her into something she doesn't want to do. She isn't ready to leave here yet, what's your deal, making her rush?" Soul's frown deepened as she glared at him. He hated the fact that Maka's mother was being so bull-headed about her daughter's well-being just so she could get away from Spirit faster. He knew Maka wanted to be with her mom, but he also knew that she needed her friends and their support right now.

"If it's an issue, I can talk to Lord Death." Spirit's presence was almost forgotten, and for three people in the room, it was a blessing. Kami wheeled around, unable to handle the fact that every single person in this room was now against her. But what really did it was Maka's weapon speaking so casually with her.

"If it's what Maka wants, and if it's what's best for her right now, than she should stay here. You forget, she just went through the most difficult battle of her life and the people who were there for her all the way, they're all here. You'd really want to take her away from that, knowing that she still isn't better?"

Kami was quiet. The whole room was absolutely silent. She stood up slowly and let out a heavy sigh before turning and walking calmly towards the door. Soul took a step to the side to avoid her, and she paused before throwing him an indecipherable glance. She began to head towards the door again before turning around, her face soft and all of the anger gone.

"For once, Spirit, you're right." Her gaze turned towards Maka and Soul could swear that her eyes were starting to water.

"Whenever you're ready, _if _you're ready, I'll always be waiting for you to join me. We can have our own adventures." Maka smiled a little at her mother, whose own smile brightened, before she left. Their door was still open, which prompted Spirit to follow.

"Papa!" Maka stood up, her posture meek. He turned around, trying to look cool, before giving her a thumbs-up. He left without a word and Maka didn't know what to say, if there was anything _to _say. Soul walked up beside her and ruffled her hair, supplying an answer for Spirit's actions.

"Lame." She weakly Maka chopped him before smiling up at him. She looked exhausted.

"Why don't you get some sleep, you look terrible." Her whole posture turned hostile as she began to beat on him; after an abundant beating, she started to head for her room. She closed the door with a soft click and Soul let out a long sigh. Blair padded towards him before transforming into her human form, and she was grimacing.

"Well, that wasn't awkward or anything."

"I guess you could say we all have our problems." Blair smiled brightly and hugged Soul to her chest, prompting a nosebleed.

"But you were pretty cool back there, Soul!" He pushed her away after a few minutes of enduring her breasts in his face, before heading into the kitchen for a paper towel to clean himself up. He wet the paper towel and blotted his nose, tossing it once all the blood was gone. He looked at it for a long time, thankful that all of it was actually red and not black.

"Nah, I just couldn't lose her again."


	7. FLAME AND WIND

FLAME AND WIND

one month three weeks after Asura

* * *

><p>"So, you called us here to tell us that you're going to kick us out if we don't do missions? We didn't even sign up for EAT class, your slimy, incompetent son did that for us!" Rudy was going to die today, and it wasn't even going to be somewhere she liked. She and Agnes had been called to the Death Room to be warned, <em>again, <em>that missions were part of the required curriculum. It had been three weeks since they had been forcefully put in EAT class by Death the Kid.

Lord Death had calmly explained that they needed missions in order to pay rent and buy food. It was their source of income. Missions were the only way to defeat kishins, which were their targets. If they didn't want to do missions, they could always go back to NOT! class and work at Death Bucks. However, Agnes was already irritated when they were called in, and as such, not even Lord Death was prepared for her onslaught. Rudy grabbed her sister by the shoulders and both of them bent over in a bow, whispering fiercely in Chinese before Rudy stood upright. Lord Death was displeased with this outburst, but if anyone could schmooze him, it was Rudy.

"We know, we're just nervous about going on a mission - I mean, we don't know what to expect! I bet every student here has come to you with reservations about their first difficult mission! Please, I promise we'll pick one up before the week is out."

"I allowed that last week, but it's very clear that you're avoiding missions. So, I've assigned you to remedial lessons. You will accompany an experienced pair and observe them as they capture a kishin egg. When you return, I expect you to go out on your own mission. Are we clear?" His jovial tone was dangerously close to sounding irritated, but he managed to keep his cool. Rudy sighed in relief - she wouldn't have to lie to him again.

"In fact, your partners have arrived."

Rudy twirled around, smiling apprehensivley before really looking at them. Maka Albarn waved excitedly at the pair, and Soul cooly raised his hand in greeting. Maka approached Lord Death, who handed her a file and tickets, before he told them they were all dismissed. Maka motioned for them to follow, and once safely out of the Death Room, they saw a shiver go up her spine.

"Lord Death wasn't very happy."

"Neither are we." Agnes ground out. Maka looked nervously at the older twin before shaking it off and smiling, handing her the file so they could read it together. Soul and Rudy stood across from them, waiting anxiously to hear the details of their mission. Maka sighed, seemingly unhappy with the choice, and Agnes shared her displeasure.

"It's an easy mission, and it isn't even overseas. We're going to Vermont, to look for a kishin egg who has been killing people at a skii resort, and surrounding skii cabins. They're calling him Avie King." Maka showed Rudy and Soul the file now, letting them read over some of the details. Rudy glanced up, a grin on her face as her sister frowned deeper. Agnes hated the cold, and Rudy supposed it was payback for walking through a scorching desert when they first arrived.

"When are we leaving? Could we meet up by the stairs here? It's the easiest landmark for us to remember," Rudy grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. Soul nodded, knowing that it wasn't a problem for them to meet the girls here. The school was on the way out of the city, for them at least.

"We'll meet there tomorrow, about 6 in the morning. The flight will be a few hours. Here are your tickets, don't lose them." Maka and Soul left the girls in the hallway, still confused and still dreading their first mission.

* * *

><p>Maka woke Soul up at 5, knowing he took longer than her to get ready for a mission. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before crawling out of bed. He didn't bother to stretch, he just grabbed clean clothes and went into the bathroom. She heard the shower sputter on before the flow was obstructed by his body, and she found herself thankful that Lord Death had given them help for their first mission since she woke up. She pulled her nightshirt off, her ribs still a little tender, and the scars were slow to heal on her arms.<p>

She stood in front of her body mirror on the back of her door, craning her neck to get a glimpse of the giant scab on her back. It was much smaller than when she first saw it, but it was still wide and it was so itchy. Maka tried to reach back and scratch it, but gave up when she heard Soul getting out of the shower. She quickly donned her meister's regalia before opening her door. Soul had began making breakfast, two heavy coats laying on the couch. They were both his, but he knew she wouldn't care - his coats were far warmer than any of the ones she owned. They ate their breakfast in silence, mulling over the last details of the mission before grabbing their gear and heading out.

Soul was surprised to see Agnes and Rudy there before them, knowing that they still had trouble navigating the city. They strolled up casually, greeting Agnes and quietly bidding good morning to Rudy, who grunted back at them. Soul and Maka lead them out of the city, into the town surrounding it. From here, they caught a flight to Chicago, and caught a connecting flight to Vermont.

They quickly got down to business; Soul and Agnes were to look in one area, while Rudy and Maka checked another. The idea was to introduce the girls slowly to the mechanics of a mission, and the best way to do that was to make meister-weapon pairs with a 'designated senior'.

Soul and Agnes were scouring the resort while Maka and Rudy set out into the cold night; Maka was grateful that the forecast hadn't called for snow for at least two more nights. She looked around carefully, trying to use her soul perception to find the kishin egg faster. Rudy was humming quietly, though she didn't seem particularly perturbed by the cold like her sister had been. Actually, Rudy only had a pair of jeans, ear muffs, gloves and a long-sleeve t-shirt on to guard against the cold. She also appeared to have a ratty scarf that matched the one that Agnes had. Maka made a mental note to take the girls shopping, as they seemed ill-prepared for this trip.

"Maka, something's coming." Rudy's eyes were darting along the treeline when Maka held out her hand expectantly. Rudy looked at it questioningly.

"Take my hand and transform, so we can move faster." Rudy looked absolutely stricken by this, and instead of transforming she grabbed Maka's hand and pulled her. Maka yelled, surprised, until a giant cylinder of ice shot up where she had just been. She landed on top of Rudy, who was trying to push Maka behind her.

"Come out, I can feel you hiding out there."

Maka could not have planned for a worse opponent.

A man came from the woods, where he had been hiding. He wore a black t-shirt with striped pants, and a cuff was around his ankle. Maka recalled a chain ball attached to it when they had last met, but it seemed he had lost his taste for it. One of his eyes contained witch symbols, shadowed by "NO FUTURE" running across his one brow. He grinned, excited to be able to use his power again. Maka grabbed Rudy again and tried to get her to transform, but the weapon stayed firm - one arm defensively out in front of Maka, the other propping up her torso.

She hoped Soul and Agnes would show up, because at this rate, they were going to die.

"Maka, you gotta get outta here. This guy, he's dangerous like you wouldn't believe." Her voice was filled with a quiet awe, which was uncharacteristic for her. There was something akin to fear in Rudy's eyes and Maka wondered how Rudy had come in contact with the immortal werewolf. He was casting another spell, and without a choice Rudy went against everything she was told to do.

Maka was flung a few feet away, landing in a snowy bush. Rudy had transformed both of her arms into short blades, which had wind swirling around them. Her hair seemed to grow a bit, but the wind chopped it off every so often. She looked back for a moment before jumping away from an ice spike.

"Maka, run! I can handle this if you can get me some back up!" She ran up towards the wolfman, slicing him in half with barely the tips of her blades. His body fused back together and he grabbed her head before headbutting her several feet back. Blood was running down her forehead, staining the snow. Maka was on her feet and torn - if she left, Rudy would die alone at the hands of Free, the man who stole the Grand Witch's eye. But if she stayed, Rudy would keep protecting her instead of focusing on staying alive. Against her better judgement, Maka turned and ran, searching for Soul and Agnes.

"I'm not leaving you! I'm coming back!" She shouted as she ran. She ran harder and faster than she could ever remember; she was running towards something, not away from it. She could make out Soul's energy and she willed her legs to keep up with her. When she felt she was close enough, she began to scream at the top of her lungs. She saw the frantic energy of the soul as it made its way towards her location. She met with them only a few hundred yards away, breathing the cold air in gulps as she tried to formulate a sentance.

"Free... The immortal... Rudy wouldn't... Let me wield her..." She panted out, and Agnes was looking around wildly, trying to find her sister. Before Soul or Maka could say anything else, Agnes had pulled Maka onto her back and was running towards where the fight was, and Soul followed behind quickly, hoping Maka was alright, and that they wouldn't be too late.

* * *

><p>Rudy wiped the blood from her forehead, and when Maka was gone, she a grin threatened to split her face in two. She lifted her head to look the immortal in the eyes.<p>

"I never thought I'd get to see the Eighth Wonder. The man who stole the Grand Witch's eye and lived to tell the tale! I'd like to hear it, if you don't mind." He shot magic blast after magic blast at her, cylinders landing just centimeters away from her, spikes barely grazing her flesh. He let out a frustrated growl before twisting his hands.

"Well, it wasn't easy. Let me show you what I showed her." His flesh turned to fur before her eyes, and she was mesmerized. She had never thought werewolves existed, but she was now staring him directly in the eyes. It took him offguard, and he shot a cylinder between them. Once again, it barely missed.

"How the hell can you dodge my homing attacks?"

"See, the funny thing about ice is that it's just water and cold air." She crossed her blades in an 'x' over her chest before flinging them outwards, wind shooting out at high speeds. While he dodged the attack, the trees behind him did not and they fell helplessly into the snow. The silence that ensued was deafening as he worked through what had just happened. He looked carefully at her, trying to remember where he had seen her before, when they had fought. He wished he could get closer to investigate, really fight her the proper way, but if he moved beyond this point, they might be able to slip around him. He hoped they hadn't noticed his obstinence, and he hoped _she _was ok. When he tried to shake the thoughts from his mind, he turned his attention back to the blood that had dripped onto the ground.

"Wait a minute, who are you?"

"Rudy!" Agnes' screech could be heard in the distance, and Rudy smirked at him, cocky.

"Why don't you find out?" She flipped backwards and stuck herself in the snow, fully transformed. Her handle swirled with a black energy for a few seconds before Agnes' hand enveloped the pommel. She tugged the blade before pointing it at Free threateningly. Her eyes were narrowed and her hair danced behind her, like fire. Maka came up beside her, Soul in her hands.

"We don't stand a chance against this guy."

"I got him on the ropes!" Rudy's image didn't reflect in the blade, but if Maka was behind Agnes she would have seen the mouth at the hilt moving, forming her words.

"We know he is immortal. That doesn't mean we can't run him off. We're here to back you up, Maka. Tell us what you want us to do." Maka sighed before putting on her brave face and clutching Soul tighter. She began to charge at Free, who dodged her attacks. Each time he came close to swiping her, his aim was suddenly off and it went right past her. He was looking irritated and perplexed before hopping back. He was aiming to drop a giant cylinder over all of them, which he had formed moments before Agnes had showed up. Rushing in and deciding it was worth the risk, Agnes pointed Rudy upwards and shot out a wave of ultra-heated air, which melted the ice instantly.

"Free!" There was a frog hopping through the snow behind him, and he actually turned his back on the battle to usher her away, towards cover. Maka made to attack, but to her surprise, Rudy spoke up. "Maka, hang on. He didn't move from that spot the entire time, right? Maybe he'll run away." Her tone was shaky, as if she were nervous. Maka was as well - it's not like they could kill him or contain him, so they could only hope for his retreat.

The frog turned into a young girl, the witch Eruka if Maka recalled, and she was surprised they had stayed together after the kishin incident. Eruka had big tears in her eyes, and Free seemed to be concerned about her safety. Maka began to wonder if Medusa was still controlling the two before dismissing the thought - she had killed Medusa, she knew the Gorgon sister was gone for good. If that was the case, what was keeping them together?

"Eruka, get out of here!"

"No, Free, I don't think you- eek! We really gotta go, they're dangerous!" Eruka's tone changed to frantic when she glanced around his large body, which was shielding her from view. Behind her was a giant, black tadpole that seemed to perpetually grimace. Eruka's hand was pulling his arm, hard, trying to escape from the group behind him. She had recently heard from the Mizune sisters that they didn't have to worry about the school looking for them here - did the sisters figure out she had lied to them and ratted them out? That didn't matter now - they had been discovered and they had to get moving fast.

"Says who? I got them on the ropes!" Eruka dropped her voice down so they couldn't hear, and Free gave nothing away. He grabbed her and ran off into the forest, the tadpole following suit. Maka and Soul watched the whole thing, utterly confused. Rudy sprung out of Agnes' hands, standing beside her sister and looking into the woods after them. She turned to say something to Soul and Maka, but the scythe was extended behind her, as though with one tug she could be ripped in half. Her eyes showed nothing as she looked up at Maka, until the pain of being cut in half never came. She dared to turn around, and she saw a simple kishin egg floating. Soul extended out of the blade and ate it, making dramatic sounds as he did so.

"Well, at least we got what we came here for." Soul said bluntly before transforming back, standing beside Maka. The entire incident was terrifying and all of them where still feeling it. The immortal Free was still around, a witch was with him, and they could be planning anything. Maka didn't look forward to telling Lord Death all of this, but at least she could say that Agnes and Rudy had finally completed their first mission.


	8. SWITCHING

SWITCHING

1 month, 3 weeks, 4 days after Asura

* * *

><p>"Alright, look, we just got back two days ago! We were on our way to pick up a mission, but you intercepted us beforehand!" Maka was grimacing, her back to Lord Death. She couldn't believe how Agnes was mouthing off to him; firstly, because she was never usually like this, and secondly, because it was<em> Lord Death<em>. She dared to spare a glance at the shinigami, whose only response was to Reaper Chop the girl. Agnes pouted, much like Rudy would, before sighing and turning away from him.

"Settle down, my goodness! I just wanted to ask about the details of your remedial lesson - Maka tells me you encountered Free, and Rudy, you were left to defend against him?" Maka's shoulders sagged in disappointment - their mission had been successful, but Lord Death sounded miffed that she had abandoned the younger weapon.

"No, I told Maka to go and get me help. She isn't accustomed to wielding a sword, she can run faster and longer than I can, and I'm not very good at matching wavelengths with others. Which is why I paired with my sister. She saved me, really. But, while I was waiting for her to come back, I dodged a few ice cylinders. He headbutted me," she flicked the bandage on her forehead and frowned when she discovered it to still be a bit tender.

"But he didn't seem like he was coming after us. It was more like... Honestly, it seemed like he was trying to protect the witch he was with. She seemed scared." Rudy tapped her finger to her chin, recalling the fight. She knew that Free could have easily turned the tables on her, he could have overpowered her, but instead he stayed near the trees and allowed her to toy with him. Lord Death, as usual, gave nothing away.

"Still, we should probably keep an eye on him. You're all doing well, I presume?" Death the Kid chose this moment to enter, Liz and Patti at his side. Patti approached Agnes rapidly and the two began to wrestle, instantly clearing up her foul mood. Patti off-handedly greeted Rudy before returning to her game with Agnes.

Maka began to talk to Kid, filling him in on the small details. He looked thoughtful for a moment before repeating his question.

"Yeah, we're all okay. Maka was the big concern, since she still has some healing wounds, but she came out alright." Rudy supplied the answer for him, her voice jovial and covering the ire he knew was in her eyes. They had a staring match for a few moments before she was sucked into a conversation with Liz and Maka; Maka mentioned something about going shopping, and Liz joined in.

"Kiddo, maybe you'd like to join the girls on their next mission?"

"Nope, we'll be alright! The process isn't as scary now that we've seen it. We can do it solo! Besides, doesn't Kid have more important jobs to tend to?" Rudy jumped back into the conversation, hoping that Lord Death would accept her request. He seemed to think about it for a few moments before conceeding, beginning to talk to Kid about another mission that was a three-star. He dismissed Agnes and Rudy, who bid the sisters farewell.

"Wait, do you still want to go shopping?"

"Yeah, we'll go when we get back from our first solo mission! We'll bag our first soul!" Rudy waved back to Maka, who seemed worried - she knew she was still wiped out from that fight, she wondered where those two got it.

On their way out of the Death Room, Agnes noticed Crona waiting skittishly outside.

"Hey, Crona." They practically jumped out of their skin before blanching. They held up a shaky hand and gave an even shakier hello before trying to meld back into the shadows. Rudy would not allow this; she had been interested in Crona since their first meeting a month ago, and had seen little of the meister since.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting for Maka." It was quiet, and if she hadn't been listening to them she was sure their answer could have gone unheard. She smiled and grabbed Crona's hand, pointing between herself and her sister.

"We never introduced ourselves before - I'm Rudy, and this is my sister Agnes!"

"I'm Ragnarok!" Black liquid shot out of the meister's back and formed into a small body that rested on their back. Rudy almost couldn't control her smile - this is what she wanted to see again. This strange substance that seemed to harden into an entirely different entity, seperate of Crona, and with a will of its own. Ragnarok, something about that name seemed so familiar to both of them -

"Hey, haven't seen you two in a while. What's up?" Kilik walked up to Agnes and high-fived her before bumping fists with Rudy. He greeted Crona, who returned it and skulked away - Maka had left the Death Room and was waving them over.

"Hey, Kilik, we just did our first mission!"

"Not really. That was a remedial lesson." Rudy faltered for a moment before regaining her footing, before Agnes swooped in to save her sister's ego.

"We're about to go pick out our real first mission. Would you like to oversee us? Lord Death recommended it."

Kilik hardly had to think about it before he was following them to the board - which was about three flights down and in the middle of the Moon section, halfway across the school. The Pots trotted along with them faithfully, the little shamans once again holding a silent conversation with Agnes through clapping and signing. Kilik and Rudy discussed her remedial lesson before they came to a stop. With a quick glance at the board, Kilik reached up and grabbed one of the easier missions - just a kishin egg in Poland. Knowing that they came from China and would have passports, he let them read it over and decide on their own.

"Okay, so now we have to go back to Lord Death and get some details and then we can leave tomorrow, right?"

"Afraid not. This time, right after you talk to Lord Death you'll go home and pack. I'll give you two hours and we'll meet at the airport - you know, the same one you went to last time. Poland is a lot farther than Vermont." Agnes almost got airsick right there - the thought of being on another plane for an even longer amount of time was enough to make it feel like Death City was wobbling like a plane taking off. The Pots took notice, tugging on her hands until she brought her attention back to them. Rudy looked at her sister and sighed.

"You head home and start packing... I'll deal with Lord Death." Agnes' eyes shined in thanks before she realized the underlying meaning in her words.

"I'll walk you home, it's on the way." Kilik began leading them out of the hallway, and before they rounded the last corner Agnes shot a nasty glare back at her sister, who was smiling and waving still. She stopped and clutched the mission to her chest before groaning aloud - she had to go all the way across the school again.

* * *

><p>When Rudy had finally convinced Lord Death that they would be alright, after she had convinced Agnes that they wouldn't die on the plane, and after the second longest flight of their lives -China was 15 hours away on a good day, and Poland was 14- they set foot on foreign soil. Rudy took a deep breath and sighed, turning to look at her sister who was reading more about the mission.<p>

They were in a dense forest, a few hours outside of Winniki and very close to the Poland-Belarus border. They were careful to give it a wide berth, lest any police arrest them on trying to pass border control. They were searching for a kishin egg that had been attacking people in Winniki, only to return to this very forest when chased off.

Rudy tried looking the material over, but maps didn't make much sense to her -and even if she wouldn't admit it, they made no sense to Agnes, either- and Kilik refused to help them. He kept telling them that it was their mission, and he was only there because of the Free incident. He kept telling them to walk around, and that they were sure to happen upon the egg.

"We don't want to be ambushed."

"Even if we're caught off-guard, that's kind of what Kilik is for. That's why you invited him, to be our safety net before we go out into the big world by ourselves!" Agnes ignored her sister, who often acted 'like a ham' in front of Kilik when Agnes was present, just to see if she could embarass her. She was keeping a distant eye on the Pots when then came scurrying back. They were handing her various leaves from poisonous and non-poisonous plants, as if testing her knowledge. She began to sort through them carefully, handing the Pot of Thunder poisonous leaves the Pot of Fire the safe ones.

She felt her sister's leg bump hers and she patted their heads, finished sorting the leaves. She stood up and felt Rudy's hand brush her own as she began whispering in Chinese, saying that the air felt wrong. Kilik heard the intensity in Rudy's voice and began questioning them, the Pots by his side at an instant, the leaves forgotten on the forest floor.

Somewhere beyond the trees they heard a whirring sound, like machinery being run. They were sure that no mill work was being done here, and so they waited to see if it would stop. It seemingly did after a few minutes, but Kilik stayed tense. A man burst from the foliage, chains wrapped around him and spinning at high speeds. He recognized this man as a former enemy - one of the many Arachnophobia agents. Rudy was in Agnes' hand and the Pots were on his fists, ready to attack without a moments delay.

"Well, look who we have here! Some academy students out playing grown ups?" His chains whirred again as he shot out towards the group; Kilik dodged to the right and Agnes blocked with her sister. She kept her cool as he upped his power before the force of it pushed him back. He sneered at the older sister before coming back at her, who matched blow for blow.

"Agnes, you gotta watch him - he's bad news!"

"Yeah, we kinda figured that! Nothing like an archaic, out-of-date weapon to get the blood pumping." Rudy's tone was toxic and he wished he could have seen Agnes' face. Rudy was always cheerful and Agnes was critical, but now Agnes was quiet as she deflected each blow. Kilik pushed his way into the fight, trying to take the heat off of the girls, but he soon went onto the defensive as Giriko -whose name came back suddenly after trying desperately to remember it- drove him back.

"_Out-of-date_? That's what they teach you brats at school, to disrespect your elders?" He shouted angrily, then he used his chains and ripped up the land around them, sneaking in a brutal kick to Agnes' stomach. He didn't expect her to completely ignore it, and he didn't expect what she did next.

Kilik couldn't see them in the cloud of dirt that had been kicked up, and he waited for it to begin to settle before he jumped back into the fray. Giriko seemed distracted by something, and Kilik got the upperhand. He landed a devastating and electric punch to his left, then a fiery punch to his right before kicking him back into the foliage from whence he came. Agnes watched, satisfied, as he ran away from them. She leaned on her sister for a minute, the kick getting to her, before letting her sister transform back. Kilik looked a little worn, but was unharmed aside from a few scratches.

"What was that all about?"

"Who was that guy?" Agnes questioned, probing Kilik's mind for answers. He was probably thinking along the same lines as her - that this attack wasn't a coicincidence, like running into Free and Eruka.

"His name is Giriko, and he used to run with Arachnophobia back when we were still trying to take out the Kishin, Asura. I only ever saw Justin Law take him on, so he's gotta be strong. Then you have the incident three days ago, with Eruka and Free - who used to serve Medusa. It seems like they're mobilizing for something, if we're running into them."

Rudy had wrapped her sister's arm around her shoulders, supporting her. That kick was meant to throw off her entire center, which it seemed to do because Agnes didn't bother pushing her away. Agnes took in everything Kilik said - so he had more field experience with all of these people than she had been aware of. She thought for a long while before pulling out the details of the mission again, handing them to Kilik.

"So, with that in mind, do you think there's even a kishin egg here? Or do you think that it was a sham to lure us here? His attack was much more deliberate than Free, whom we stumbled upon in the mountains in the States." Kilik hesitantly took the papers from her, both Pots gripping his pants. They were nervous to step away from him, in case Giriko decided to come back.

He looked over the information again, checking the maps and the vicinity of each attack to the forest. He marked their position and it seemed that the attacks happened right around here and the area directly outside of this patch of woods. He read the information again, the only claims being of a loud noise before they ran off. None of the people had been killed, and not all of them were injured when they returned home. This didn't seem like a normal attack pattern, at least, this wasn't a normal kishin.

"It doesn't look that way. We should probably head back home, then. Lord Death isn't gonna like this."

"Yeah, well, we're slowly becoming his least favorites anyway."

Not only was Lord Death angry, he was absolutely terrified. According to Agnes and Rudy, whom had been bringing him nothing but headaches, they had run into not only a prior Arachnophobia agent, but _Giriko_. He had been at the core of the operation, from what Justin Law had informed him. Not to mention he was vulgar and typically brutal in his attacks.

He was surprised that Kilik had accompanied them, especially after Rudy had made it a point to tell him that they didn't need extra help. The thought was swept away in relief that they _had _asked for help from someone more experienced. Kilik informed him of minor injuries they sustained before they were all dismissed, Lord Death requesting that they take it easy for the next week. Agnes would have formed a much better argument about how he had just threatened to kick them out two days prior for not doing missions, but decided to let it go in favor of nursing her bruised stomach.

Kilik had lead them out, the Pots hot on their heels, before telling them that he'd better get home, knowing that the shamans were most likely exhausted from their short battle - he knew they would be alright, but he tended to baby them after such an intense fight. He bid them goodbye and they began to head out of the school, when Agnes stopped and turned around. Rudy paused on the stairs, waiting for her sister.

"Agnes!" Tsubaki was running out of the school, following the duo.

"Tsubaki, how are you doing? Where's Black*Star?" Tsubaki sighed, explaining that he was in the middle of a remedial lesson. She was there helping him, of course.

"I had just wanted to see how you two were doing. Kid told me about your missions and we were worried about you two."

"We?"

"Me and Black*Star. Sid wouldn't let him out until he finished cleaning all of the bathrooms, so he asked me if I could catch you!" Agnes smiled and told Tsubaki that they would have the next week off from missions, and promised to catch up with them in school the next day. Rudy asked Tsubaki to tell Black*Star that she hadn't forgotten their bet, and that she would bag a soul before they did. Tsubaki laughed before heading back inside, and the sisters waved to her retreating form before descending the stairs. The sun was beginning to set over Death City, struggling to stay awake. It had been two days since they had left for the mission in Poland, and they had arrived here only hours before.

They were both tired from the plane ride and were having trouble finding the right alleyway to turn down. Rudy stopped before turning around, waiting for the presence that had been following them to reveal themselves. She was surprised to see Justin Law step out from behind a wall, the same, small smile on his face as usual. Agnes was right beside her, their shoulders touching the walls.

"Good evening, I presume you are Agnes and Rudy? Lord Death has told me all about your missions, and I have a few questions for you girls." Rudy twitched nervously, unsure of what to make of his confrontation. Was Lord Death sick of them? Did he send one of his personal weapons to kill them in this alleyway?

"What are you getting at, death scythe?" Agnes' voice commanded an answer, and Rudy shrunk back into herself. She was so scared she was sure Agnes threw a glance her way to communicate that she could hear her thumping heart. She swallowed hard and tried to breathe even, but she really wasn't ready to fight in this city.

"My question for you girls is, what did you plan to do after you made a Kishin? Or did Arachne just send you here and you blindly followed?" Rudy had transformed one of her arms into a sword and she was ready to lunge at him and tear him apart. Of course there was no plan, Agnes hadn't bothered to think of one because Ms. Mandy's servant, Mosquito, had told them all would be well. He saw the spark in Agnes' eyes and his smile widened before he held out a hand.

"I'd like you two to come with me. I can help you find what you're looking for."

"Did Lord Death think he could send an infant to kill us? If so, he made a mistake because you're apparently better at monologuing. If you don't explain yourself, we will cut you down here and burn you into nothing."

"Ladies, he is offering you something beyond the kishin." Mosquito stepped out from behind Justin, further confusing Rudy. Was this guy being serious? This wasn't a trap? One of Lord Death's very own personal weapons was trying to help them destroy the entire world? She put a hand to her head before glancing up at her sister, who was watching Mosquito.

"What is this, Mosquito. Can we trust him?"

The word 'trust' triggered a memory response in Rudy, recalling her last time playing basketball with Kilik and Black*Star and Soul and Tsubaki and Maka. As she was listing all of these people, each name brought new memories with each person. She recalled coloring an entire book with Patti because Liz had told them they couldn't do it all in one night. She thought about Maka's nasty Maka Chops when her and Soul argued over dinner while she and Blair sat back and watched. She remembered -with much more fondness- spending the night at Black*Star's because she had simply eaten too much food, and the two of them slept at the kitchen table.

There were even more memories, with Kilik and the Pots, her sister, even Crona and Kid. All of these people she had met had become her friends, and she trusted them far more than a death scythe who wanted the world to drown in madness.

"Sis, you can't possible choose this guy over our friends?" She said it quietly, and everyone's attention was on Agnes' response.

"They aren't our friends. They're our fodder."


	9. CREATED FEELINGS

CREATED FEELINGS

2 months after asura's

* * *

><p>The sun had risen at 5:47, still sleeping and unaware that a new day had begun. Soul Eater found his rest interrupted by a beam of light cast over his eyes, and tried to turn away from it. After a few moments he gave up, rising slowly in his bed before rubbing his eyes tiredly. It was a Saturday, and he normally wasn't up until noon; but he had something he needed to do today. He took his time getting ready; he took a shower, picked between headbands -before settling on his usual beige one- and got himself dressed by seven. He began wandering the streets of Death City, making his way to Gallows Manor. He had known that Kid would wake up at 8 on the dot, but he wanted to make sure he had a private audience with the meister.<p>

The morning was humid, and he knew if he wasn't quick he would get a nosebleed; he had been prone to them as a child, and he hoped he wasn't as unlucky as he used to be.

Gallows Manor was in sight, but it wasn't overly impressive, if you asked Soul. He was used to mansions, he had even been invited to a few castles; but if anything, the grandoise house was more unsettling than anything. He had left behind his own lavish lifestyle, consisting of waltzing with pretty girls, hating them for their vapid, shallow responses to any questions he bothered to ask. He was thankful that Kid lacked their empty-heads, but he still felt a shiver go up his spine as he walked through the threshold of the front door. He had to remind himself to slouch and drag his feet as he putzed around the main room patiently, messing with a few of Kid's trinkets that lined the room.

It was only ten minutes until 8, but they drug on for what seemed like eternity. He was ready to go back home, but he had gotten out of bed -early as hell- to _specifically _come talk to Kid.

The young reaper skulked down the stairs slowly, a low groan rising from him. Soul quirked an eyebrow - he had never seen Kid look so rough. The reaper seemed to notice his presence, has he straightened himself up and smoothed his hair down. He cleared his throat, demanding Soul's attention.

"Good morning, Soul. Would you like to join me for breakfast? The girls are late risers." Soul nodded and followed Kid into their ridiculously large dining room -though not the biggest he had been in- and they waited patiently for food to be brought out to them. Soul poked at his sunny-side up eggs and let them bleed out onto the plate slowly, while Kid portioned his potatoes around the eggs at an attempt at symmetry.

It was quiet in the house, and Soul wasn't sure how to start this conversation. He came to Kid's house uninvited, mooched food off of him, and now he was going to ask a favor? Soul let out a weary sigh before setting his silverware down, resting on the plate. He decided to do what Black*Star had taught him; just go for it.

"Hey, Kid, can I ask a favor?"

"I suppose that's the reason you came over so early?" Kid didn't add that he noticed Maka's absence and Souls reluctance to initiate conversation.

"Yeah, you see, remember like two months ago when Maka woke up? We got into an argument and I never really apologized to her. I mean, Maka hasn't said anything but I know she's probably still pissed at me and I'm really bad at apologies," Soul paused for breath before taking a few fork fulls of potatoes and eggs, allowing Kid to process his rambling.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind hosting some fancy-smancy party? She got a new dress from her mom, and she's been bugging me about showing her the waltz." Kid's plate, meticulously cleaned with two slices of rye bread, was taken from him by servants. The gun-wielding meister leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together in front of his mouth. Soul continued to pick at his breakfast before finally pushing the plate away, and there was another servant who came to take it from him.

Kid was thinking deeply on Soul's request. It _had _been a long time since he held such an event; but that didn't make him too keen on throwing one. Black*Star would show up and eat and wreck the place, Patti and Agnes would wrestle around and probably break something, and Liz would gossip about him with anyone who would listen. Still, this was for Soul. He needed to set things right with his meister - and Kid would be glad to help his friend.

"Alright, Soul, I'll host the party. I think tonight would be fabulous, if that isn't too short of notice?" Soul shook his head, smiling happily at his friend - he knew Kid wouldn't turn him down, but it was still reassuring that he had his back. Soul stood up from the table and thanked Kid profusely, promising to be in attendance with Maka by 8PM. He left Gallows Manor, showing himself out to allow Kid to finish with his morning rituals. It was a weight off his shoulders, and he made his way around town to invite all of his friends to the party. When he returned home, it was closing in on 11AM, and Maka was still asleep. He shrugged and started making her breakfast anyway, hoping that she would wake up and receive the news well.

* * *

><p>She was fussing over his hair, trying to smooth it down, but Soul just swatted away her hands and ruffled it again. She pouted at him but let it go, returning to her room so she could put her heels on.<p>

The dress her mother got for her -as an apology for being so pushy when she first arrived- was beyond fancy. It was black, ending a few inches below her knees; it was strapless and form-fitting. There was a sheer cover over it, with small crystals laid carefully in order of largest-to-smallest, starting from under her right arm and spreading out over the rest of the dress. It glittered every way she twirled and turned, and he had to admit that she looked amazing. Her hair was up in a tight bun, with a few strands hanging down to frame her face. Aside from lip gloss and mascara, he noticed she wasn't going overboard like he thought she would've.

He had thrown on a black tux carelessly, not tucking in his shirt or buttoning his coat. He didn't need to be fancy; he just had to get by. Maka had tried multiple times to tuck it in for him, but he was stubbornly avoiding her hen pecking with another frown and a glance at the clock. It was only ten minutes until eight, and they lived twenty minutes from Gallows Manor. Maka was also in heels -which, really, wouldn't impede her speed so much as it would hurt later- and he hadn't wanted to rush her. She seemed excited, hastily throwing a few things into a small clutch before grabbing his hand and running out the front door.

He was almost surprised at her vigor, until she told him to transform. So, she was going to resonate with him just so they wouldn't be late to a party? He chuckled, but indulged her - they had been resonating a lot recently, due to their training, so it seemed absolutely normal to Maka. The familiar weight of his weapon form pressed against her palms as they focused on their energies combining, Soul being the conduit for Maka's will. He redirected all of her power to her legs and within nine minutes they were standing in front of Death the Kid and his weapons, Liz and Patti.

He looked rather surprised, but it was soon replaced with vague irritation when he heard Patti's loud squeal, and soon she and Agnes were wrestling on the dance floor, ignoring everyone that jumped out of the way. Rudy held a hand to her head and sighed deeply when the Pots joined in, a full on brawl taking place before their eyes. Kilik beckoned for his weapons but they gleefully ignored him, though they settled down a bit. Agnes took rapt interest in them and Patti sauntered off to join Black*Star, who was already eating.

"Hello, Rudy. It's good that you two could make it." Kid forced a smile, and he watched as Rudy grimaced at him before chatting with Maka. Kid touched Rudy's arm, getting her attentioned completely because _how dare he touch her_, until she read his body language. He pulled her along slowly, and before she knew it, they were dancing among the crowd. Her frown deepened though she made no move to depart.

"What do you want, Kid?"

"I didn't know how to say it in front of her. Let Soul and Maka have the night to themselves. He's trying to apologize to her-"

"And we all know how long that would take him. Fine, we'll play nice tonight, Kiddo," she beamed at him, but he noticed a quiver in her voice. She was straining herself, dancing with him. It was one of her least desired positions, and once the song had ended, she politely bowed out and joined Tsubaki, Patti, and Black*Star. Tsubaki was invited to dance, and after Rudy's pestering, she finally conceded and joined the young man, leaving Rudy, Patti, and Black*Star to polish off half of the food.

"Uhm, excuse me, can I join you?"

"Hell yeah, buddy! Come on, sit right next to Black*Star! Bask in my presence, Crona!" He was shouting and carrying on, waving a large chicken leg around while Crona leaned away. Ragnarok formed and began antagonizing Black*Star, the two fighting with their food. Rudy smiled at Crona, who shyly returned it before looking anywhere but her eyes.

"So, Crona, how did you find you way to the academy?"

"Well, uh, I'm a meister... And Ragnarok is my weapon.." She had to strain to hear them, but still she pushed on her questions, before noticing Maka and Soul in her line of sight.

"Soul, stop slouching. We're dancing."

"Yeah, yeah, maybe if you didn't drag your feet I would be a little more enthusiastic."

"What! I'm not dragging my feet," she growled out, stepping harshly on his foot. He grunted in pain before taking a step back to twirl her, before resuming their original stance. He hadn't even began to broach the subject of an apology yet, much less had he been tolerant of this party. He was voicing such a displeasure for it, though he didn't know how else to deal with this pit in his stomach. May as well come out with it, he decided.

"Maka, I'm sorry for not believing you."

"Huh?" She squeeked, gaining the attention of a few nearby couples. She smiled, embarrassed, before thinking of a proper response; what was this all about? Soul hated apologies, in fact, she had almost never seen him genuinely apologize. He typically rectified the situation, which he had done with her.

"I asked Kid to throw a party so I could get the guts to tell you. I don't know why I feel this bad about it, but I do. It won't happen again."

Maka looked absolutely shocked, but soon her face turned into a soft smile before pulling Soul into a hug. She didn't have to say anything - she was so touched by the gesture of an actual apology, she hoped her hug conveyed that. She pulled away, smile still in place. She wondered how she could have ever been mad at him in the first place.

"I forgive you."

It happened fast, maybe she should have regretted it, but she craned her neck and kissed the corner of his mouth, pulling away and leaving the dance floor to join Tsubaki and Liz for drinks. Soul stood there, dumbfounded and rubbing his face, when Agnes appeared beside him. Her voice was quiet, though warm like honey.

"It seems like things have taken an interesting turn in your favor tonight," she observed before wandering off into the crowed, and he turned to say something back to her, only to notice her hasty retreat. He sighed and silently agreed; his eyes flicked to the clock, which read about 10 PM. He had wanted to get home before midnight, but he wondered if they should stay here for a while longer.

Kilik had left with the Pots by 11, and when Tsubaki and Agnes had to carry Black*Star and Rudy home due to a food coma by 1, Soul decided he and Maka should head back to their apartment. He found her chatting with Crona, and when he requested they leave, she insisted they take Crona home as well. They were still staying at the academy, as there were no one room apartments available yet. Soul didn't mind the demon swordsman, and they had walked them here in the first place. He shrugged and handed Maka her coat, knowing it was a bit cool out tonight. They bid Kid farewell and he began to clean up, the party officially over. He had heard from a certain meister that things had become very interesting, and wondered how the rest of their night would play out.

The school was half-way between their apartment and Gallow's Manor, Ragnarok and Crona bidding them farewell as they ascended the stairs to the DWMA. They had resumed their pace when Soul looked at Maka, noticing that her gaze was at the ground and that she was blushing. He chalked it up to the earlier incident, and reached down to grab her hand. Her head shot up and she slowly turned her head to look at him.

"Soul?"

"Maka, you're acting weird." He didn't know where, he didn't want to know how, but she Maka Chopped him in the middle of the street with a book he knew wouldn't have fit anywhere on her persons. Still, her hand slipped back into his and she sighed, their pace never broken. They were heading up the stairs to their house and she unlocked the door, flicking on the lights. Soul came in after her and threw his coat on the couch. He called out to Maka, who stopped just short of her room.

She turned to face him, eyes tired and her body screaming for sleep when he approached her, and she didn't know why, but he leaned down and kissed her. It wasn't anything more than a peck, but it was Soul and it was unlike anything she had thought it would be. His lips were soft and slightly-irony, probably because he's always biting them with his sharp teeth, and there was something that made her want to do it again. Maka stopped herself as he pulled away and started heading to his room, raising his hand and waving back at her before closing his door.

When Blair came home ten minutes later, Maka was standing outside of her door, touching her lips with a smile on her face.


	10. I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU

I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU

set one month, 3 weeks, 6 days after Asura

* * *

><p>Agnes was up early again. She had another nightmare, lost in the inky darkness beyond night. The cold was encroaching upon her, slowly but surely sapping the life from her. She woke, sweating and frantic, but a glance to her right gave her solace. Rudy was still slumbering away, sprawled out over the edges of her bed and snoring. A piece of hair was in her face, and every exhale blew it away from her mouth. Agnes ruffled her own hair before bringing her feet to the floor and heading out of their bedroom.<p>

The hallway that was on her right was swirling and almost inviting, like the darkness in her dream. It was only the empty bedroom at the end of the hall, but the door was open and the moon wasn't shining tonight. Her entire apartment was pitch-black, unnerving her a bit more before she shook the thoughts, and her dream, away.

She didn't _need _to sleep. She rubbed her eyes in irritation, plopping down on the couch in the living room. She rubbed at her face, not wanting to start preparing for a day of school three hours before she even had to be awake. It was quiet at four in the morning, a familiar quiet. She began to get angry, all of these irritating things piling up on her all at once. She took a deep breath, and with practiced control, she summoned a flame in her left palm. It was warm, and ate away at the edges of the darkness.

Agnes began to let her thoughts drift back to their meeting with the death scythe and Mosquito, a sigh falling from her lips.

It was tedious work, having to rely on other people to lead the way. Maybe this was why Rudy was so adverse to other people. He had offered them a definite plan, and with the people he had backing him, it was hard to say no. Agnes smiled in spite of herself, recalling the confrontation. There was an unsure air to him, though Mosquito seemed a bit more skittish. Rudy had relayed to her that Justin Law had been shaking in his boots the whole time; Agnes considered the fact that they _should _be feared by normal weapons, but she also knew that Law was riddled with madness and struggled to remain in control. He wouldn't have left that alley if they decided it. Agnes was still in complete control of the plans that were taking place.

Rudy had been involved in the planning, though she wasn't as cooperative with them. Justin had told them that he would provide a soul to warp and the rest was up to them. He didn't have to explain how it would happen; they already knew. There was no telling when the transformation would happen, if it did. They were both ready for the connection to become clear between them and Maka; they had felt it the first time they met. It was clear that she was destined to become the next kishin. Maka was as good as anyone, she had tried to console her sister, but it fell on deaf ears and the betrayal in her eyes was something Agnes wouldn't soon forget.

As she began trying to work out the details of their plans, Rudy rose from her slumber and clambered to the bathroom across the hall. Another look at the clock confirmed that Agnes had been staring silently at the wall for three hours, mulling over her current predicament. She shook her head and stood up from the couch, returning to their room and looking for something to wear. The plan would have to wait until after school.

* * *

><p>"... And as you can see, this creature is very unique - its lungs are twice as small as a human's..." Stein droned on, poking and prodding inside of an animal that no one cared to look at or pay attention to. It was common for him to disect in the middle of class, and while no one openly protested, it was typically ignored.<p>

Maka had two books open and was taking notes for a meister-specific test that would be happening in a week, and Agnes was sitting beside her as they went over last-minute notes together. Tsubaki was sitting to Rudy's left, and Soul was on her right. They had all agreed to take extensive notes on specific chapters for their own weapons test, and they were swapping information while Tsubaki also filled out Black*Star's remedial tests and homework. Rudy couldn't believe he stuck her with all of that work, but then again, nothing could stop Black*Star when he decided to do something else.

Rudy was staring at the back of Crona's head, thinking hard about the question on Black*Star's homework that she had began helping Tsubaki with, when Ragnarok spilled out of their meister's back. She was so intent upon her thoughts that she failed to notice the demon blade resting on her desk, boredly drawing on her homework. She reached into her pocket and absently put a piece of candy in her mouth, still in thought.

Soul noticed the weapon and decided not to say anything to the girl, wondering what kind of interaction they would have. When she reached down, he then noticed three bags of assorted candies. He didn't know when she brought them in, or how he hadn't noticed them before, but he vaguely recalled Ragnarok having quite the sweet tooth. He continued watching the weapon struggle to steal the horded candy.

Ragnarok saw the sweet and tried desperately to reach into Rudy's pocket, but to no avail; their arms just weren't long enough anymore. Groaning in irritation, Ragnarok settled for pulling her hair roughly to get her attention. Surprised to feel that the tips of her hair were hard and a bit sharp, the weapon drew back their hand and Rudy's attention was on them immediately.

"Ragnarok? What do you need?"

"Give me candy!"

Rudy smiled widely and reached back into her pocket, pulling out a large handful of hard candies; the weapon greedily wrapped their tongue around it before swallowing all of them whole. She procured an entire bag of caramels from her desk and handed it over to Ragnarok.

"I love eating candy!"

"Well, Rudy, while we're all very happy for your affection for sweets, I fail to see how it helps you pass my class. Which you are failing, by the way." Rudy grimaced at Stein before Ragnarok stuck out their tongue and drained back into Crona's back, done causing trouble for the moment.

"Have you been listening to my lecture?"

"Uh, I've been going over some notes, actually. Your lecture isn't really captivating, Professor. Besides, it's not like anyone else is listening." Soul felt himself go numb, and Tsubaki had snapped her pencil. Stein quirked an eyebrow at her forward accusation. She was calling him boring, and even went so far as to claim that no one else was paying attention? His mouth twitched upwards in a smile and Rudy saw every other EAT class student blanch; it was never good when Stein smiled like that.

"Well, if you're not captivated by my speeches, maybe you should stay after class today and go over your notes with Crona, who is doing about as well as you are." Soul went to defend the meister, but Maka beat him to it.

"This isn't Science class, it's Especially Advanced Talent. They aren't doing well because you haven't been teaching." Maka went back to her studies and Stein instead turned his attention back to his half-dissected animal, ignoring the conversation completely. Crona let out a deep sigh, happy that they weren't the center of attention anymore. Shortly after, the students were released by the bell. Agnes left her sister in the classroom, instead meeting the Thompson sisters to go shopping for a few hours while Rudy did her time.

Stein glared at her and Crona as they tried to leave, prompting them to take his statement seriously before sitting back down. Maka spoke to Crona briefly, something about meeting them later for dinner, before she left with Soul. Rudy pulled out her notes and another bag of candy -where she got them from, Crona could only guess- while waiting patiently for them to pull out their notes. Crona didn't move from their spot.

"Sorry I got you both in trouble; I hope you don't mind too much." To her surprise, Crona shook their head before offering a small smile. Ragnarok formed again and their hands found their way into the candy bag.

"It's alright. I don't have any notes to help you, though. Maka lets me borrow hers after she re-writes them." Their voice was quiet, like everything else about them. Rudy knew next to nothing about the meister or weapon, only that they were relatively new to the school and that they were rather close to Maka. Rudy gave Crona some paper and one of her pencils, before putting her notes between them. She handed the now half-full bag of candy to Ragnarok so they would have more room to spread their papers.

Crona slowly scribbled the words onto their own paper, reading the material several times before asking short questions and jotting down her answers in the margins.

"Hey, Crona? Can I ask about where you're from?"

"I, uhm, don't really know. Sorry."

"Is there anything you would tell me about yourself? I'd like to get to know you better, and we have some time to kill." While Stein had left with the last student, Rudy wasn't about to let Crona out of her sight. She had been dying to get a moment alone with the meister and weapon duo, but had been thwarted constantly by their friends. The way they shifted, a bit uncomfortably, made Rudy reconsider her question - was she being too forward?

"Crona's always been a scaredy-cat! I'll tell you what you want, but it'll cost you!" Rudy offered the bag of unopened caramels to Ragnarok, who accepted gratefully. Crona was still quiet, though a short nod was given before Ragnarok began speaking.

"Crona's mom was a witch named Medusa - she was bad news! Anyway, we did a bunch of stuff for her before he gave up all of our power, then that idiot girl brought us here and we live in a smelly dungeon now." Rudy could make a lot of inferences off of these statement, but she tried to keep to what she knew; Medusa was an unknown to her, so she started with witch. The witch, Eruka. Perhaps she was still working with Medusa, if witches still worked together like they used to. But she realized quickly that Medusa would have been a much more prominent threat by now, and would have been mentioned to her at some point by Maka. Eruka was still running with an immortal werewolf, but was uninfluenced?

They ducked their head down and continued to scribble on a borrowed piece of paper. Rudy scooted back on the bench before propping her feet on the desk, leaning against the desk behind her. Her mind shifted to the next subject - an idiot who brought them to a dungeon? It was unlikely that Maka, who was the only one close enough with Crona for Ragnarok to even take note of, brought Crona back specifically for punishment. After a long moment, Rudy recalled that Ragnarok mentioned giving up power - which could mean that they had been on the wrong side in the beginning. There were a lot of words pouring through her head, texts about the side-effects of eating human souls.

So, that's what they had locked Crona up for? Eating human souls, only to give it up? She shook her head, finally making sense of the most problematic part of their statement.

"Wait, you live in a dungeon? What dungeon?"

"The one in the school." A frown marred her features, and Crona saw the depth to it - the anger, the surprise, the curiosity. She had been completely unaware of a dungeon within the school - what did they need one for? And why was Crona in the dungeon? Rudy assumed there was much more to this tale than she was being told, and she knew that her fascination with Crona and Ragnarok was well-founded.

They wondered why she had so many questions, and why she kept thinking they had answers. Crona dropped their pencil and began pressing the tips of their fingers together, a nervous habit that had yet to die off. Ragnarok began tugging on Crona's hair, whining loudly for Rudy to pay more attention to them. She blinked, coming back to reality.

"Are you allowed to move out of the... dungeon?" She didn't know what brought the question on, and it felt like she was taking things a bit too fast with someone she hardly knew. But as she looked at them, she felt relief; she saw herself in them. A coward who runs away, who depends on no one because _who will stick around?_ Someone who didn't know what their future would be, someone who had made mistakes. But there were qualities to Crona that evened them out; a sense of loyalty, the ability to need protecting, but also the ability to protect others. She could admire the traits the demon swordsman had shown thus far.

Crona nodded at her, the pencil sitting untouched next to a full page of notes. Rudy had noticed their forming interest in her, Crona's attention shifting towards her, and unshrinking themselves. She had even noticed the waning eye contact as the time passed.

There was something very special about Crona and Ragnarok; Rudy needed to know more, she wanted to focus on this rather than her impending betrayal. Perhaps there was more to this mysterious duo than she had initially assumed, and she grinned widely when a solution formed in her mind.

"Well, why don't you come live with me and Agnes!"


	11. JUST LIKE HEAVEN

JUST LIKE HEAVEN

2 months after Asura

* * *

><p>"Really? Crona, that's great news. I'm happy for you!" Maka pulled her friend in for a hug, which they didn't fight but didn't reciprocate, and when she pulled back she felt, rather than saw, the apprehension on Crona's face.<p>

"I don't know how to deal with this!"

She heard the term more often than not with Crona, and it usually slipped out when they were unsure of how others would recieve them. While it was slow going, they had slowly become a bit more outspoken - if only when they were around Maka. Crona had even managed to correct Maka on their pronouns once, and they were relieved to see that Maka was, yet again, accepting of anything and everything that they had shown her. They were grateful for a friend like her, and they were also grateful for the other friends they had.

Black*Star had told Crona, on more than one occassion, that he would deal with anyone who so much as spoke against them. Crona had also began warming up to Soul the more they spent time together at their apartment with Maka. Most of all, Crona had cherished their friendship with Agnes and Rudy. Though they didn't see each other often, the pair always offered greetings to them and they even tried to help Crona with homework when Maka drew a blank. Agnes was methodic, easily showing Crona how to execute a move the proper way. They had turned to Rudy to help tame Ragarok, which she had gleefully accepted.

But there was apprehension still inside them, something telling them that they shouldn't move in with the sisters.

Maka was trying to convince Crona that this was one of those times that their anxiety may be taking over. While she validated the fact that there is something a bit strange about the two, she also confided in Crona that she trusted Rudy as a close friend, and that there was no possible way that she, or her sister, would do anything to harm them in any way.

"Crona, you'll be fine. They invited you to move in, right? That means they want to be around you, they like you!" Crona ducked their head, eyes darting around the hallway as they headed towards the exit of the school. They didn't want to get their hopes up; after all, Crona knew they were a handful. Agnes and Rudy seemed nice enough, but could they take the time to deal with Crona?

Maka flicked them on the forehead, a smile still on her face. She was hopeful for them, knowing that it was hard for Crona to open up and make friends. It made her think back to when they first came here - everyone had welcomed them, taken them into their group and they accepted Crona with no fuss. Agnes, while indifferent, and Rudy, who was much too enthusiastic, seemed to get along well enough with not only Crona, but also Ragnarok. Maybe being around polar opposites would help Crona find their comfort zone.

Crona spoke up as they passed the mission board, suggesting they do another mission together when Maka and Soul had the time. She told them that they could pick out a mission tomorrow before class, discussing some of the missions displayed, when Soul showed up. Maka berated him for making her wait, but after hitting him a few times and some groveling, she forgave him and the three began to head out from school.

"So, Crona, Rudy tells me she's anxiously awaiting your response. What's up, are you getting married?" Crona seemed to stiffen at the scythe's joking words, but not out of fear. They didn't want to make a decision - they enjoyed the quiet basement. But Maka had suggested that taking a few controlled risks was a good idea, and she was seldom wrong. After a few more minutes of walking Crona raised their head and looked ahead.

"I... I think I'll do it, Maka. I mean... They seem nice."

Soul grinned and put a firm hand on Crona's shoulder, which didn't tense, and Crona returned the gesture with a small smile. Soul knew that Rudy had been wanting to talk with Crona, and he didn't think she'd actually get the guts to ask them to live with her. He also knew that Maka was worried about her friend -she was worried about a lot of things currently- getting out into the world again and taking risks. This was definitely a step in the right direction.

"Oh! Soul, we should do a mission with Crona soon. I said we could pick one out tomorrow, before class." Soul shrugged, but with prompting(read: Maka Chop) from Maka he affirmed their plans, hoping she wouldn't have him try to answer anymore questions. The walk down the stairs was accompanied with a comfortable silence, and without a word in protest, Maka and Soul walked Crona to their new home.

Agnes and Rudy didn't live very far from the school - they actually lived fairly close to Soul and Maka, but their sense of direction lead everyone to believe they lived on the other side of town. The familiar student-housing was almost intimidating to Crona, but lead by the ever-confident Maka and her faithful Soul, they climbed the stairs to what seemed like the same door as every other door. With a quick 3 knocks, Rudy answered the door with a big grin on her face. She shot out of the house, hanging around Crona's neck.

"Oh, I'm so excited! You showed up! Please, come in, come in!" Maka held up her hand, making Rudy stop the process of shoving Ragnarok's head through the threshold of the front door, an unwilling Crona attached.

"I'm sorry, but we have to go meet Justin for training. Crona, will you be alright?"

She looked into their eyes, waiting to see the small collapse of Crona's willpower, only to see it standing firm. There was hesitation, but with a quick nod, their eyes softened and Crona nodded at her. They allowed themselves to be corraled into the home, and with one last wave, Rudy closed the door slowly. She turned to her sister, who was lounging on the couch, and motioned to Crona and Ragnarok looking around the under-furnished home.

"They're gonna live with us!"

Her sister sat up and glared at Rudy, Crona shrinking back in fear while Rudy stood, unwavering. They wondered what they had gotten themselves into when Agnes stood.

"What do you mean, 'they're gonna live with us'?" Her voice was very quiet and Rudy immediately tried to console Agnes, but the excuses fell on deaf ears as her sister began to approach the two quickly, speaking in angry Chinese. Rudy's voice wavered in every response, though Agnes stopped short of the three with her sister's final answer. She hummed in irritation before shifting her gaze to Crona, then Ragnarok.

"Alright, your room doesn't have a bed. We'll get you one in a day or two -we would have had one if she had told me you would be moving in- but you're welcome to sleep on a couch out here. We're also a bit... lacking in appliances." Crona actually smiled at her, making Agnes take a small step back. They didn't care about small appliances, this apartment had some sort of character to it that made it feel like a home.

Rudy seemed to take to painting on the walls, strange and fluid designs in the kitchen. There were also quite a few pictures taped to the walls, all of them including at least two other people that they knew. Crona even spied a few pictures of themself and Ragnarok standing with Maka and Soul. The room that was supposed to be theirs was all the way down the hall, and it wasn't any more than 10x10 but it had the only window in the apartment. They looked out for a few moments, watching the sun dip lower in the sky before smiling to themselves.

This was a good idea.

* * *

><p>Maka had relented and got on the back of Soul's bike, knowing it was faster to where they needed to go. She shouted over the sound of the engine roaring and the wind ripping past them, asking Soul if he thought Crona would be alright. She watched him nod before he swerved around a small ditch and she sighed, relaxing against him. She felt exhausted, she hadn't been sleeping very well ever since her mother's initial visit. Since then, Kami had visited two times, once to apologize with a dress and by making dinner, and a second time to ask Maka to join her on a trip to Egypt; she had declined, which Kami confessed she expected such an answer.<p>

It wasn't long before they reached the wooded area where Justin Law was waiting for them - the sun would be going down soon, and the shadows of the trees swirled around them in an eerie way. He asked Maka to try and transform - to his amazement, she managed to turn her arm into a dull, black blade. While she still couldn't fully transform, he knew they were very close to figuring it out.

"When will I be able to fully transform?" She asked while turning her arm back. Justin hummed for a second before looking at Soul, asking what he felt. Soul knew they were going to get there soon, and he considered telling them that he could have it done tonight, but stopped himself.

"Maybe another week." He said with a shrug; Justin looked at them curiously before smiling widely. He informed them he would leave them alone for a bit, wanting to go look for a few more hidden gems in the DWMA library. As they heard the last echos of his bike, they sat down on the sandy grass. Maka reached out and took both of his hands in hers, a tentative smile on her face. Soul looked at her, questioningly, before she drew a deep breath.

"Can I ask you why you have failed to apologize for kissing me, then leaving me the other night? Before we do this." He tried to withdraw his hands, an effort to distance himself from her, but she held firm. He felt sweat bead on his forehead and he closed his eyes, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth.

"I wasn't sure how you would react, honestly."

"You had Kid throw an extravagant party _specifically _to apologize for being an idiot jerk to me, and then you go and act like an idiot jerk! I feel like you didn't learn anything from the first time around." She released one of his hands and grabbed his shirt, pulling him to her and kissing him - it was brief, and he had no time to process it before she pulled away, looking him right in the eyes.

"You need to have a little more faith in me, and yourself." Soul was watching her with wide eyes for a long time; he blinked a few times before laughing and nodding his head.

"Yeah, okay. I'll give it a shot." He gave her his hand this time and they smiled at each other before closing their eyes. Slowly, the woods around them fell away to just them, sitting there. He could only see the light glow of her soul and his, which merged into one. He was familiar with this process, and he navigated his way to where he had been working the other day. A large scythe was tied down by multiple ropes, though the ropes were straining from Soul's previous efforts. He reached down and he slowly, but firmly, began to pull.

The ropes creaked and groaned, but he felt as though they would never release the weapon. He often wondered if it wasn't worth trying, but Maka's words rang in his head. He needed to have more faith in her. In both of them. He continued to tug and pull, two hours passing as he struggled against her soul's bonds. He knew he would have to give this a break soon, but as the thought crossed his mind, every rope snapped and the weapon turned to ash in his hands.

It had been hard.

Maka had fought the hardest battle of her life only two months ago. After taking the time to repair her body while in a coma, she struggled to remember who she was, and what her purpose was. She had awoken to her partner, the one who had been by her side when she saw no one for miles, the one who waited for her while she toiled away inside herself. Maka pushed herself, maybe a bit harder than she should have, to get better as fast as possible.

She remembered her first time meeting Agnes and Rudy, and her impressions of them both. She remembered trying to teach them a better basketball technique, even though she was rather clueless herself. Maka had gone back to school, only to find that nothing had changed -she was even still the top student in EAT class. She had gone on a mission with Agnes and Rudy, she had even gone with Kim and Jacqueline on arguably the easiest mission in her career, before going out on her own.

Clearer than the rest of her memories was the visit of her mother, and with it came a zephyr of emotions ranging from anger to disillusionment. It had taken its toll on her, the animosity that lingered between her and Kami. Still, Maka distracted herself from it every turn. busying herself with training and school work. She found herself taken under Justin Law's tutelage, training her in the art of self-wielding so she would make sure she didn't hurt anyone, or accidentally hurt herself.

Her memories poured over him vividly as he was ejected quickly from her soul, only to be deafened by her screaming and an invisible force ripping trees from the ground around her. There was a blue arch of pure energy around her, lightning striking out and hitting her skin. There were blades shooting from every inch of her body, tearing skin and the wounds sealing shut with beads of black blood. Her screams never stopped, and all he could do was alternate his incredulous gaze between her and his hands.

_This wasn't supposed to happen._


	12. THE GAUNTLET

THE GAUNTLET

2 months, 1 day after Asura

* * *

><p>Crona hadn't well slept that night - whether it was the lumpy couch or the fact that it was a foreign place was debateable. Ragnarok was thankfully silent, allowing the meister time to get lost in their thoughts. So far, Agnes and Rudy were rather accomodating. They promised to buy Crona their own bed the following day, though Rudy kept hinting that she was going to skip class with Liz and Patti to check out the mattress store. It was amusing, seeing the different interactions the sisters had with their friends. Crona liked to stay back in crowds, preferring to just watch others; Agnes was often seen around Patti or Pot of Fire - and consequently, Kilik- and they were usually playing games. Rudy was much more exuberant, and was drawn to Black*Star for the constant challenges - she was also very close with Maka, which was a comfort to Crona.<p>

They swore they heard an irritated huff in the other room, but silence settled once more and Crona hoped it was one of the sisters, because they couldn't deal with a ghost-

"Shut up, your whining woke me up."

"Oh, uh, sorry Ragnarok..." the weapon gave Crona a noogie, who barely contained a cry of pain, before sleepily retreating into their back and falling into a slumber. Crona then began to draw their thoughts to their own weapon. Would Ragnarok ever turn back into a formidable blade, or were they truly hopeless like Medusa made them think? Their thoughts shifted to someone else - Eruka.

Eruka and Free were together, and they were moving. Crona tried not to panic, and continued going down the logical road - Medusa was dead, and Eruka hated her anyway. There was no way they would try to bring her back or find her. They were under the impression that Free and Eruka were good friends, and the more they thought about Rudy's recounting of their interaction, the more things became confusing.

They were running away together. According to Rudy, the witch became very uneasy at one point in the fight and revealed herself to get Free's attention, only for them to retreat immediately. What did Eruka figure out during that fight that lead them to flee, and what would be so intimidating that it would send them packing?

No matter what end Crona tried to find, they couldn't seem to get there. Everyone's story matched up. They caused no harm to anyone over the past few months, and as such, there was no official pursuit of the two. Crona still didn't know if there was now, but they could only assume it was being kept from the lower-ranked students.

Another frustrated sigh came from the bedroom before the door creaked open and Agnes softly padded over to the chair adjacent to Crona. She didn't say anything to them, not wanting to wake them if they were asleep. She stared at the closed door of her room and Crona watched her for what felt like hours before they drifted off.

Agnes woke them only three hours later to get ready for school. They stretched carefully, a bit sore from the way they had their neck angled, but soon they were out the door with the two sisters and heading towards Soul and Maka's to meet them. It was strange, however, when no one answered the door.

"Maybe they're just tired from training and need a day off?"

Crona went to knock once more before pulling their hand back. Maka had seemed absolutely exhausted the past few days, though it was strange that she would disregard that and make plans with Crona. Still, they were concerned for their friend and boldly knocked again. No one answered again, and Rudy took the liberty of opening the door.

It was a mess inside.

There was a little bit of blood splattered on the couch in front of them, and there were a few broken dishes. One of the blankets that was once hung neatly on the back of the couch was shredded. There were dented pots and pans everywhere, and one of the windows was cracked. There was no sign of Blair, and both Soul's and Maka's rooms had closed doors. Agnes glanced over at Rudy, who returned the look, when Ragnarok formed and took in the scene.

"It looks like a wild animal was let lose in here!" the weapon goaded. Soul's door opened then, an angry look on his face.

"What the hell? Did you guys break in?"

"Your door wasn't locked, and no one answered the door... Soul, are you bleeding?" Rudy stepped forward to look at the cut on his face only for him to swat her away, irritated. Agnes was looking anxiously at Maka's bedroom door and Soul seemed to notice, as he began trying to draw her attention away by telling them that Maka was getting the chicken pox for the first time and didn't want anyone to see her. Crona accepted the lie, though Agnes and Rudy were a bit more firm.

"We won't get sick, and we won't tease her. Let us see her, just to make sure she's ok." Soul shook his head once or twice, a firm no. He could barely get her to stay in the room.

"No, she really doesn't wanna see anyone." He thought back to an hour ago, when Maka kicked Blair into the window as the cat napped on the back of the couch. He was amazed it didn't break, but he was sure Blair wasn't so lucky. She had limped out of the house slowly, not even able to use her magic to help herself. He had managed to get Maka into her room and last he knew, she was passed out. He didn't want anyone waking her up - he wanted her to fix herself and wake up like she did the last time.

Rudy had slipped into Maka's room while Soul argued with Agnes. She had to be quick - Soul may be focused on her sister for the moment, but he would surely notice her absence. She saw Maka laying on the floor by her desk, books and pages torn out strewn around her. Rudy walked over and knelt down, brushing the hair from the girl's face. There was no spark in the touch anymore, just a dense coldness that told Rudy that she had given into madness.

She felt her anger bubble up inside her. Maka couldn't be their kishin. No matter how much they warped and twisted her soul, it would never be tainted enough to completely turn. Grigori souls were the one soul type they couldn't do anything with. She quietly slipped back out just in time for Ragnarok to put in their two cents.

"We're gonna be late!" Crona and Rudy ran for the door while Agnes turned to Soul and smiled.

"We hope Maka will feel better soon. Take care of yourself, Soul." She followed the others out, closing the door with a soft 'click' before Soul trudged back into his room and fell onto the bed. He felt his hand ball up into a fist before bringing it down to his mattress. What was he going to do about this mess?


	13. MAKA ALONE

MAKA ALONE

2 months, 1 week after Asura

* * *

><p>She found it strange that she couldn't hear. Even if the town itself was strange; mushed newspaper gray, that was probably the only thing she could find to be off-putting. The people seemed to be shadows, and as long as she didn't speak, they wouldn't be able to hurt her. They stretched towards the sky and if she breathed too hard, they would turn their heads down and she would see into their deep, black eyes that seemed to hold an eternity within them.<p>

She weaved between street lamps and the giant legs and feet, which resembled elephant's feet, trying to find a way out. There were storefronts and apartment doors, a few busses, and cars; but they were all nondescript, all gray and almost two-dimensional against the background. This all seemed fake, but the stomp of another foot beside her reminded her that it was real and that she needed to get out of here now.

She ducked behind a corner and took in a deep breath, and was plunged back into darkness; it was like a thick, heavy ocean, and if she stared at it hard enough, it seemed to turn into a bright, endless light. Like a small galaxy hidden in a black hole; there was no push or pull but simply a crushing amount of pressure. Maka opened her mouth to gasp for another breath, but only felt her lungs fill up with a viscous liquid. She choked and desperately tried to find a single bubble of air, but only more of the liquid filled her, leaking from her eyes and crawling out from her nose and ears. She hoped for death, almost begged for it, when she sat up in her own room.

She could hear Soul on the other side of the door, talking to himself. It was a strange, garbled tongue he spoke in; something she didn't recognize. She crawled towards the door and tried to open it, only to find that the door handle was a thousand feet in the air. Maka jumped as high and as hard as she could, she tried running up the door, she tried climbing it - all to no avail. She kicked the door and watched as the handle turned slowly. It began to open very slowly towards her, and she realized she would be swept away if she didn't run away. Maka ran as fast as she could and was barely out of the door's range when she saw Soul's shoe step down hard next to her.

"Maka?" She heard him call, his voice distorted and hoarse-sounding. She shrieked up at him and he looked around wildly. Her voice only confused and upset him and she watched him walk to her bed and sit down. He spotted her on the floor and his eyes grew wide before he reached down and picked her up delicately.

"How did you get so tiny?" He asked, and she tried to bite him in retaliation. He didn't feel it, and he chuckled to himself. She felt a bit of relief; Soul could help her get back to normal. At least, she didn't have to be alone anymore.

The pressure of his hand around her slowly began to increase and before she could fully understand what was happening, before her mind could process the betrayal, Soul had crushed her in his hand and she was oozing out from between his fingers, dripping harshly on the floor.

She screamed when the drop to the floor changed into a swampy, wooded area. The air was damp, and the sounds of bugs and frogs rang deep into the night. Maka took a hestitant step forward, trying to get the rhythm of dripping onto the floor out of her mind. Her pace was slow and cautious as she navigated the swamp, wondering what question to ask first that would begin to make sense of what was happening to her.

Where was she? Where was she a few minutes ago? It all seemed to be like a dream, but being crushed and drowning both felt completely real; it made her spine tingle to remember the way her bones crunched in Soul's palm. Shaking the thought from her head, her vigor was renewed and she stomped through the sludge and the muck. She tried to think what could have gotten her here - _was _she having a vivid dream? Or was she stuck in her mind; was she in another coma? No, it all seemed too painful for it to be fake.

This all had to be real. But how was she being thrown around from reality to reality? What had happened that would do something like this? She ducked under a branch and something clicked in her mind when the fog settled long enough for her to see a building in the distance.

Medusa's lair was just as intimidating as it was the first -and last- time she had been there. As she waded in through the door, she was mildly surprised that the sconces were all lit. She made her way through the halls, a faint dripping sound sending her into a full panic as she began to run.

"My, how unbecoming." The voice drifted through the corridors, and as though a curtain opened beside her, Medusa was sitting on a tall pillar; a beam of light focused on her. Maka went into a defensive stance, her heart beating wildly. The witch's grin grew wider as she hopped down before the meister, blocking her punch. Maka swung her leg at Medusa, who caught it and threw Maka into a wall. She pinned her to it and chuckled deeply, a snake seeping from her mouth as her eyes narrowed.

"You seem much different this time around."

"I killed you." Medusa frowned and let the girl go before pointing to her stomach. A bloody, red line showed where Maka had severed her. Maka inspected the wound, poking and prodding it while Medusa stood still. The flesh wasn't connected, and it was still dripping with fresh blood. She looked up at the witch who was smiling back down at her condescendingly.

"Oh, but you have. You're as bad as Stein was when he came crawling to me. Someone unspun your entire soul." She laughed this time, a rumble that Maka felt in her own chest. Disgusted, she pushed passed Medusa and tried to walk away. The torso of the snake witch followed her, taunting and goading Maka into arguing with her. The meister stayed quiet, and soon Medusa was silent as well.

The halls of the compound became rocky and uneven, and they wound endlessly. The wall sconces were placed unevenly in each hallway, barely perceptible to anyone. But for some reason, it stuck out to her. She followed them, leading to a large room with a long table in the middle.

"Why are you here?"

"We're locked inside of your mind. I'm a fragment of your imagination. I believe I'm supposed to deliver some sort of important message to you, but I like toying with you much more."

"Then I want you to go away."

"It doesn't work like that, Maka." Medusa purred at her, reaching out to touch her face. Maka smacked her hand away and she pouted before joining her legs back to her body. She walked beside Maka until the scenery changed again, and she disappeared.

Maka was in class now, sitting beside Crona and Soul while Stein lectured them in a monotonous voice that seemed almost garbled to her; she recognized all the students, but there was something off about everything. Their colors and voices were mixed up. The air was stale and oddly damp, leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

Black*Star cut down the door with a large zanbato, cackling the whole way as he cut Stein into giggling pieces. Tsubaki was outraged; why was he wielding another weapon again?

"Mine doesn't cut through rice paper!"

She was in her house very suddenly; the living room. She was reading her favorite book, one her Papa had gotten for her. She had read it thousands of times, but the words weren't showing up on the pages. There was a heavy thud against the front door and the handle was wrestled with for a few moments before Soul swung the door open.

His chest was torn open and she knew he was missing a foot. His left eye was cut out and he was breathing hard, limping into the apartment and collapsing soon after. Maka ran to him, pressing her hands to his wounds and calling for Blair. The cat retrieved the items for Maka swiftly and without question as she held Soul, whispering to him and waiting for his slow, quiet replies.

Her mind was racing, trying to burn his stump shut and block out his scream of agony. There was blood covering her lap, some in her hair, all over the floor. Blair's hands shook as she desperately tried to wipe away the blood on his chest, to find the wound; more blood pooled over his breastplate and he gasped for breath. Maka's hands were working in tandem with Blair's, the foul stench of burning flesh engraved in her mind.

There was no wound on his chest, but still, it continued to bleed. Maka asked Blair to go get help, get Stein, get _anyone_. Losing Soul was not an option. It never was. Blair was out the front door in seconds, in her cat form, heading towards the school. His breathing was normal now, his chest still bleeding. He tried to talk to her, to ask what was going on, but she hushed him as she wiped the blood from his face with her thumb.

He was going to be fine, in theory. In practice, he died in her arms.

Maka's eyes grew wide and she was painfully aware of the amount of blood that was on her. Soul's blood. And he was dead, one eye staring back at her, pleading for a few more moments of life. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall, when she heard a static sound from somewhere behind her.

"Stop trying to fight this, Maka." Agnes was there, pushing Soul's body away from her and pulling Maka to her feet. Her wide eyes were trained on Agnes, wondering why she was here; what pain could she inflict upon the meister?

The blood was gone from her clothes now, and the scenery of her apartment had faded away, but Agnes was still there - clutching her arms and staring at her with that flat look. Maka didn't understand why it was Agnes, and she didn't understand what the other meister was trying to say. Convinced now that she had truly succumbed to madness, she shoved her away.

"What are you saying? You aren't real!"

"If you keep fighting, you won't be able to transform. Then you will be mad for nothing, and you will never be able to go back." There was something strange about Agnes; her voice wasn't distorted, like everyone else's. Her form was flickering like a bad television picture, and her arms were folded over her chest. The absurdity of what she was saying rang within her mind, making her wonder where this information was coming from.

Maka was plunged back into the darkness, all of her questions dying on her lips. Agnes watched her plummet deeper into despair and closed her eyes. After a few moments, Maka's madness fell away from her and she was brought back to the long table occupied by Mosquito and Giriko. She was surprised when Justin Law joined them only moments later. He sat down at the table slowly, drawing the attention to himself. With a satisfied smirk he divulged to the group that he abandoned the DWMA a few days ago, when Maka's soul had been unravelled.

"Maka Albarn has succumbed to madness. Our plans are going into motion-"

"No. They aren't." Justin leaned forward in his chair, curious about her rude interruption of his triumphant speech. Her blank stare was rather unnerving, and he had to admit that if Mosquito hadn't joined in, Law would have looked away first.

"What's the word from our kishin?"

"Maka is indeed on the edge of madness, but Justin Law failed to inform any of us that she has a grigori soul..." Giriko's eyes found hers, and for a moment they completely understood each other. Agnes had felt something blocking her off from Maka, but there was a definite connection. The only logical answer was that her soul was immune to the twisting and cursing it would take to turn her.

"You supplied them with a pure soul? It says explicitly within the first few pages that a soul like that _won't work_. Are you kidding me? This is bullshit." Giriko kicked his feet onto the table and leaned back haphazardly in his chair, and to Justin's amusement, Agnes nodded in agreement. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch in annoyance. He stood up and smiled at everyone in the room, who were all immediately off-put by the coldness of it.

"Well, then, we'll just have to find someone else."


	14. THREE DEMON SWORDS

resbang14: THREE DEMON SWORDS

two months, two weeks after asura

"Crona, Lord Death would like to speak with you." A shiver ran up the meister's spine, and Ragnarok stuck out their tongue in disapproval. Crona knew this would be coming - they hadn't gone on a mission due to Maka's absence. Rudy gave them a sympathetic look, but Agnes stood up and grabbed Rudy's arm. She pulled her sister to her feet, and they marched towards the door. Agnes shot a look back at Crona and motioned for them to follow.

"We'll accompany you, Crona."

"Funny, I don't recall him mentioning you two." Agnes blanched and put on a brave face. She was rather intimidated by Stein; she knew that he had figured them out already, he was as intelligent as Arachne warned. However, she would not allow Crona out of her sight - they couldn't know about Maka. No one could, until things were fixed.

"Crona is in need of companionship, or else Ragnarok gets out of hand with their teasing. I'm sure that you wouldn't miss our presence for today." Stein actually smiled back at Agnes, though not nearly as cold nor as threatening as hers. He turned back to the class, dismissing them to continue towards the Death Room.

Rudy apologized to Crona after a few moments, admitting that Stein was still pretty intimidating. Agnes quietly agreed, and Ragnarok surprisingly nodded in agreement. They had began to notice that - Ragnarok got along suspiciously well with these two. Crona had never seen their weapon act this reserved. They allowed Rudy to tease them and poke at them, but no one else was allowed near them. In fact, Ragnarok had been much quieter since moving in with the sisters two weeks ago.

They smiled as they went up a flight of stairs, Agnes and Rudy discussing some sort of dinner plans, using Crona as an excuse to eat something particular that the other hated, or vice versa. Three weeks ago, Crona was living in a dungeon and being quietly happy about life. Now, they had their own room -complete with a bed, dresser, and night stand- and while Maka was still out with chicken pox, they were still enjoying the interactions they had with others.

The smile left their face when they came up to the Death Room.

"I don't know... how to deal with this..." Crona mumbled, following the pair through the door. Rudy reached back and grabbed their hand, smiling back.

"Don't worry about this, we'll handle it. Lord Death likes to make sure we're all doing our part! He probably just wants you to do a mission, and if that's the case, he likes to yell at us about that anyway! So we'll all just go do a mission after this." Crona smiled, genuinely, at Rudy, and soon they were standing before Lord Death, who looked a bit confused.

"I didn't send for - nevermind. Crona, is there a reason you haven't done any missions?"

"Maka's been out sick for a while, and they're very comfortable working with her. But it's okay, we're going to go get a mission!" A swift Reaper Chop made Rudy stop trying to answer for them. Crona stuttered out the same excuse, still very scared of the reaper. Maka usually handled these meetings for them, but now they saw why exactly she didn't mind. The reaper nodded thoughtfully, and acknowledged the fact that Crona was finally starting to settle in.

"Don't be scared to ask anyone for help, Crona - we all want to see you do well." With a wave, he sent them off to look for a job to complete. After taking their last step from the room, Agnes let out a sigh of relief. Another thing Crona had picked on was Agnes' constant rebellion against Lord Death; it was surprising to them, as she was very mild-mannered and she was typically very respectful. But it had also been strange to see Rudy and Kid exchanging deadly looks, while he and Agnes chatted idly about the history of the DWMA.

It was a bit shocking to realize that these two, either way, did not seem to care for reapers.

Crona was brought from their reverie when Rudy was watching them, patiently waiting for a response to a question they didn't listen to. She smiled and repeated herself, asking what mission they had in mind. To their surprise, Crona pointed to a mission a bit higher on the board - upon further inspection, they discovered why.

It was for two-star meisters and above; a powerful kishin egg in west Texas that had devoured an entire hotel of people in one night. Deemed dangerous and elusive, it hadn't been taken by anyone yet.

"I saw it the other day and thought it wouldn't be hard for us and Maka, but..."

"We can do it, Crona. Don't worry about us slowing you down. Rudy?"

"Right. I'll go talk Lord Death into giving us a two-star mission and get the details. I'll be home and we'll leave right away." Crona tried to protest - they still had to go back to class, after all. But Agnes -they were surprised that the studious Agnes opposed- began to drag them by their collar, and Rudy waved happily. As they turned the corner, her happiness died when she realized she was stuck going across the school again.

Texas was much hotter than Crona had anticipated. There was sweat in places they didn't know they had - and on top of that, Ragnarok's sweat smelled worse than the manure that was littered in the fields surrounding them. They made a face and covered their nose, and Rudy gave them a look of sympathy before turning back to Agnes.

"So, what're we lookin' for?"

"This is a weird one. They come and go in the heat waves; you know, if you look at the horizon, the squiggly lines? And they leave without a trace. The only connection between the sites is that they are all directly west of the next one. So, we're staying at the next estimated location."

They stepped from the bus that had brought them here, hauling their overnight bags with them. Left in the trail of dust the bus kicked up, they waited for it to settle. Crona had never come this far south, and was unaccustomed to the difference of culture - they were already tricked by Rudy into eating the green sauce at a resteraunt.

Before them loomed a rather large building, reminiscent of the Mexican culture that had once dominated the southern state. They entered quickly, the sun looming over them. It burned into the material of their shirts, scorching the skin on their backs. There was little relief from the heat in this hotel - an apologetic sign was posted at the front, saying that the air conditioning had gone out the day before and would be under maintenance until further notice.

A deep frown etched itself onto Rudy's face, while Agnes still seemed to be unaffected by the oppressive heat. It had only taken two hours on that horrible plane, and the drive out here had taken two more - it was only noon. They climbed the stairs to their room and opened the door, having procured the key from the unattended desk, and they made themselves comfortable.

"Crona, we should scope the place out."

"But wouldn't wandering around during the time it's most active be a little dangerous?" They were surprised that Ragnarok asked such a question, even more surprised that they were listening to the conversation and took it seriously. Agnes glanced at her sister, Rudy's eyes a bit wide. She hadn't even considered that the monster would attack during the day; it was a natural assumption that it would attack at night. The notes had even mentioned something about heat waves - she was more concerned about finding this thing and getting back to Maka's predicament.

"You're right, Ragnarok. We should stick together and head back out, to see if we can lure it out to us and away from the people that could be here."

"You don't have to go back outside again." This time it was Crona who spoke up, their eyes wide like dinner plates and slowly filling with horror. Rudy reached out to touch their shoulder when the meister snapped back to reality, pulling the sisters down to the ground just as a burst of energy flew over their heads.

Rudy glanced behind them, seeing that the wall of the hotel was gone, cleanly cut out in a perfect oval shape. Agnes had her narrowed eyes focused on the corner of the ceiling by the door. Slowly, Crona and Ragnarok turned their eyes up as well.

A figure was stretched out on the ceiling and walls, their body like inky tendrils of smoke swiping at the wall. From the top of their head all the way down to the split of their legs, there was a large mouth with even larger teeth around its edge. The mouth withdrew into itself before opening widely again, shooting out more energy. It hit the bed this time, making half of it neatly disappear into nothing.

"We gotta lure it outside. If we can do that, then sis and I can take them down." Crona looked nervously back at the duo before nodding. They had Ragnarok form into a sword, and watched as Rudy landed in her sister's palm. Facing the corner again, they were fearful to see that the creature had gone to wreck havoc on the patrons.

They were out the door quickly, desperately searching each room to try and find it. To their horror, every room they checked was empty.

"Agnes, go outside. We'll bring it to you." Agnes hesitated before turning to look at the meister behind her. They were still meek and fearful, but if Crona said they were going to do it, she would choose to trust in them. She reached out and clapped a hand on their shoulder, and with a confident smile, she ran down the hall to the exit of the hotel. Crona took a deep breath and steadied their hand before opening another door.

As Ragnarok had feared, they had arrived in the middle of its feast. Every room was clean, as the people were probably too terrified to put up much fight. In the last hallway, Crona found a single little boy alive. The boy was still in shock, mumbling something about his parents. Crona assumed the worst and called out to him, and he turned to face them. He crawled over and asked Crona their name.

"Crona? That's weird. My name is Bradley!" Crona blanched at the child, muttering something about liking their name. They shook their head and offered a hand to Bradley, who accepted.

"So, Bradley, uhm, why are you here?"

"Oh, we were visiting my aunt. She lives out on a ranch, with cows - oh, wait, _longhorn_. She made us wake up really early so we could do chores." Bradley stuck out his tongue as they reached the exit, and Crona chuckled at the boy's distaste for his aunt. They walked on for a few more moments before Ragnarok's teasing made Crona trip over a rock. They looked up at Bradley, and watched as a huge gust of wind hit him.

"Crona, get out of there!" Before they had a chance to argue, Ragnarok pulled hard and Crona was a few feet further from where Agnes just landed. Rudy had wind swirling around her, reminding Crona that she was an elemental weapon, like Harvar or Kilik's Pots. They wondered briefly how much more power that meant she had, until the pair was smashed under a thick black hand.

It looked like a hand-shaped hole in the ground, but it was slowly lifted by Agnes. There was a streak of blood dripping down the side of her face, splattering on the ground. Crona saw her mouth move, yelling something at their enemy, when the blood splatters on the ground turned into fierce needles. They speared the hand easily making it shimmer away quickly. The little boy was standing there against, unnatural shadows cast across his face.

"You two are troublesome, but with blood like that, you will make a rather tasty treat!"

Agnes ran at the creature again, bringing her blade down against its shoulder. Crona saw something push against Agnes' hands, making her jump back. It had been Rudy; they couldn't make out what they were saying; the monster emitted a strange white-noise, making their voices fade away.

Once again, the little boy turned into a shadowy mass and shot a blast of energy at them. It was almost hopeless; those two couldn't seem to scratch it with Rudy's wind attacks. Agnes gripped her sister harder before tossing her in the air. The blast seemed to engulf them and the surrounding Earth, kicking up more dust. Ragnarok sneezed and Crona let out a cough before it settled only to find another surprise. Rudy was standing behind the strange kishin egg, a blue-ish blur against it's absolute darkness. Rudy slowled down enough for Crona to make out a sword similar to her own weapon form.

It wasn't only a brilliant crimson, but there were shades of orange and gold, blended and seemingly dancing with a liveliness that no ordinary weapon would posess. Indeed, after a few moments of clashing with their target, a great burst of fire spewed forth from the sword, augmented by her own wind powers, and it consumed the creature. It shrieked twice, almost too high-pitched to be heard, before it slowly fell away to the wind.

A single kishin egg floated before them, and Crona was slowly piecing together what they saw. Agnes flew from her sister's hand, stretching before turning to look into Crona's eyes. They were absolutely paralyzed by fear, eyes trailing the trail of black blood on Agnes' face. Rooted to the spot, they could do nothing as the pair approached and glared down at them.

"I want you to listen to us, Crona. Because if you don't follow our instructions, to the letter, we will personally make sure to pay a visit to you when you are enveloped by madness."


	15. INVERTED SOUL

INVERTED SOUL

two months, three weeks after Asura

* * *

><p>It was 3 in the morning.<p>

Again.

Soul shifted out of bed, more like rolling until his legs dangled and his toes brushed the cool tile floor. He hauled himself up and began to pace. It was all he could do, for three weeks, this is what he did. He didn't want to wake her up by pacing in the living room, so he did it in here. He listened to the ringing silence and the soft sound his feet made when they hit the tiles.

He occassionally heard Maka talking to herself, alternating in pitches but always saying that it couldn't be real. Sometimes he would check up on her, and she would smile; but most of the time, she would scream at him to go away, that she knew what he was. She read her books and slept everywhere but her bed. She hadn't eaten more than two oranges and a sandwich in the time since she fell into madness; but she drank liquid like it was all there was. Sometimes, in the middle of the day while he was at school, he would wonder if she came out of her room.

It had been hard for him to be able to move forward, knowing that he had to leave her behind.

For some reason, even after being violently kicked in the stomach -by Maka, of all people, who had a stronger kick than Black*Star- Blair came back to help Soul care for Maka while he was out. Blair would hide when Maka left her room to stagger to the bathroom; but every time on her way back, Maka would stop in the hall and stare, wide-eyed at a specific point around her before running back into her room. Her behavior was getting stranger, and Blair worried for her safety. They could only keep lying to everyone for so long.

Soul had only gone back to school because Blair proved a good point - he didn't need to mope at home all day, he needed to get stronger, do missions, and learn everything he can about what afflicted his meister. It was hard to lie to all of his friends, but soon it was normal; they stopped coming to see her, though they wished her well. He was welcomed back by everyone, and he was surprised when Crona began speaking to him.

Apparently, Crona had been popular that week, as they had taken on a two-star mission with Agnes and Rudy. It was difficult, the meister had divulged to Soul, but it seemed like something else was bothering them. They seemed a bit more on edge than usual. Soul knew better than to question Crona, so he simply clapped a hand on their shoulder and congratulated them on a job well done. They went to find their seat with Rudy and Tsubaki after offering a small smile over their shoulder.

Another glance around the classroom told Soul that Black*Star wasn't in class yet, and decided to go find him istead of sit and watch Stein do another dissection. Quietly, he slipped out the door and was down the hall before the bell rang.

Black*Star could be anywhere, but Soul decided to check the mission board first; sometimes he would hang out here to try and find work. Unsurprisingly, the meister was absent from the barren board, probably reading comics in the library or off training in some outrageous location. It was only a matter of time before Soul would hear his buddy, so he decided to patiently read the few missions posted.

Spotting an easy one, he pulled it down and read it closer. There was a kishin egg in southern Utah; it was relatively new and as such, didn't have much power. Soul read it over once more before deciding to hault his search for Black*Star - it could wait until he finished this mission. He headed towards the Death Room, and after getting the OK, he set out for his first solo mission.

* * *

><p>It only took four hours to get here, but his ass was sore from sitting on his bike seat for so long. He left it at the inn, preferring to survey the area on foot. It was mostly wooded, only a liquor store and a convenience store sat a mile or two down the road, and it seemed very suspicious, but Soul couldn't do much about it; the reports said that it kept to the same five-mile radius, which happened to run very close to this strange stop.<p>

He let his thoughts wander back to Maka as he began to trek through the woods. He wished she was here, still a little nervous about his first mission by himself - what if he messed up and froze? Her bravado was usually what kept him alert, and her recklessness was what made him more cautious. There was no one watching his back this time, he had to rely on himself.

It was so damn lonely without her.

He sighed heavily, swinging his leg over a fallen log and using his scythe to chop down a precarious branch before it fell. She wouldn't have picked this mission - Maka liked to keep challenging herself, keep pushing herself until she got what she wanted. He immediately thought of Black*Star - and let out a loud laugh when he realized that Maka didn't get that ego from _him_, Black*Star picked it up from _Maka, _and then proceeded to shove it in everyone's face constantly.

He let a shiver go up his spine. What kind of mischevious duo must they have made in their youth? He could only imagine the pranks they pulled - he made a mental note to ask Black*Star about it, when he tripped and fell flat on his face. Letting out an annoyed groan, he pushed himself up from the ground and dusted himself off.

His thoughts shifted towards Rudy's visits with Maka. She thought he didn't know, but he was well aware that she would sneak around. Oddly, whenever the other weapon was around, Maka was very quiet. Neither of them spoke, but he knew that there had to be something going on. He just wished he knew.

The sun had gone down about an hour after he wandered into the woods, and now it was dark and he could swear he heard little branches cracking somewhere in the distance; he started to really listen now, focused on that one noise, when he realized it was getting closer. The kishin egg must have found him, but Soul was also sure that the monster couldn't see him. With a grin and light footsteps, Soul made his way around the noise until it was moving away from him. He broke into a sprint when he heard the kishin egg pause, and it only took a moment for him to cleave straight through it, leaving only a soul behind.

The problem was that this soul glowed a bright, innocent blue. It was such a bright glow that it was almost blinding against the darkness of the trees, and Soul felt the blood rush from his face and into his toes. He killed a human. He killed a human and he knew what happened to weapons who killed humans.

He had to do something. He couldn't allow anyone to find out about this - it would inadverdantly lead to someone finding out about Maka, then he would be endangering their partnership. If he learned one thing over the past few months, it's that he didn't want to lose Maka. Not to her mother, not to another weapon, and not to herself.

The soul continued to hover in front of him as he stared at it, still in shock. His heart was racing, his breathing was ragged. It was absurd - how could this have happened? He brought one hand to his face, ran it through his hair, and took a deep breath.

He reached out and gripped it; it was cold to the touch, but it seemed to vibrate with power. It was nothing like a kishin egg, which was warm and almost weightless. He brought it close to his face and Soul inspected it closer, squinting to try and look past the light. Finding his search futile, he took a shaky breath before dropping it down his throat.

It was smoother than silk against silk, and the taste of it filled his entire mouth and made him salivate. It was gooey, moreso than the normal kishin egg, and he loved the way it felt as it slid all the way down into his stomach.

Soul would never admit it, but he wished it wasn't the last time he tried one.


	16. BONDS

BONDS

2 months, 3 weeks after Asura

* * *

><p>She wasn't sure why she couldn't sleep. Was she restless after being entombed for hundreds of years, or was it because her mind was constantly flitting between Maka and this new light on the horizon? Agnes had been under more stress now than when she had been trapped; she could feel it in every muscle, from the marrow in her bones to the pores on her face. Stress was heavy, and she felt like she was under a house.<p>

She waned between consciousness and dreamless sleep - the only thing that told her she had fallen asleep was the intensity of Rudy's gutteral snores. The heaviness of stress fell over her brow as she grew frustrated with her inability to stay asleep or awake, so she got out of bed wobbily and walked to the door. She hesitated to open it, fearful of the swirling darkness on the other side, but she was consoled by a particularly loud snore from her sister. Agnes thought she was going to snap the door handle off as she twisted it and pushed it open, horrified to see a black mass on the sofa. Her heart was beating so hard that there was a ringing in her ears, and the pulsing of the blood in her head was pushing against her brain.

"Agnes? Is that you?" It was Ragnarok's voice that came from the darkness, and as her eyes adjusted and she cautiously approached, she noticed that Crona was dead asleep on the couch. Ragnarok must have made them sleepwalk out here. Were they waiting for her? Surely they slept when Crona did? There was still much she was unsure of when it came to Ragnarok, but she sat down on the coffee table in front of the couch and cleared her throat. It drew the attention of their white eyes, and though their face was usually stoic, she could see something akin to uncertainty swirling behind their eyes.

"Ragnarok, what are you doing up?"

"I wanted to talk to you. You've got some sort of plans for us, and we don't like being left in the dark." She could admire their tenacity; confronting her like this was dangerous. Ragnarok, at the very least, knew that she could beat them. Their meister was unconscious, it was dark, and her sister was sleeping only a few feet away and would wake at the sound of a fight.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because your blood is black, just like mine. That's something else we'd like to know - just who are you two exactly?" Ragnarok's question was frantic, and Crona stirred a bit before settling back down. She eyed the slim meister and stared at the point which Ragnarok spewed from. Her eyes slowly began to drift back up to their eyes, and her toneless reply only made the gears in their head turn faster.

"We only asked that you two keep your mouths shut. If I were to tell you, well, _anything, _it would further complicate things and potentially compromise us later. We don't need anyone ruining our plans."

"So, you admit there are plans? Hmph, it's not like Crona would do anything about it. They didn't do anything about Medusa, and she almost succeeded." Agnes really took a moment to take in not only what Ragnarok was trying to get out of her, but what they were implying. Truly, they must be siblings like Rudy said. They were as conniving and brash as Agnes, but they could talk their way into Lord Death's own mirror(Rudy still refuses to tell anyone what it's like in there).

Ragnarok wanted her to trust them, and divulge her secrets to them. Ragnarok was seriously implying that Crona not only would remain silent, but help them.

"Tell me about Medusa, and I'll tell you about the plans."

As Ragnarok went on, voice strangely hushed and words carefully chosen, they explained the entirety of the reign of Lady Medusa - a Gorgon sister, and incredibly powerful witch, she managed to infiltrate the DWMA and raise the kishin. Not only that, but after she was supposedly killed, she took a child's body and used her leverage to manipulate the DWMA into protecting her and setting her free. Maka had delivered the final blow, and the room grew quiet for a few moments.

"Crona's mother was a Gorgon... The one who created black blood?" A shift in the darkness told her that Ragnarok nodded. The silence was piercing, Rudy's snores like harsh, white noise against the flatness of the air. She was surprised by Ragnarok's quietness; the fact that they were waiting for her to speak rather than yelling at her to spoke volumes to the effect that her and her sister were having on the weapon. Agnes only wondered why they looked so different - maybe it's because Ragnarok was infused with artificial black blood, instead of blood from the embodiment of madness.

"We started a rebellion over 800 years ago because we hated Asura; we never really got along with him, he was too much of a coward. We fought Giriko for our freedom, but with Arachne's help it was useless. We were cast into the nickle core of the Earth ever since a few months ago, when Medusa revived him.

"We dug our way out, taking turns slicing at the magma and crust. Finally, we came to the surface in China. Arachne and Mosquito recieved us and took care of us - showers, clothes, food, a place to stay. She trained us to fight again, knowing we wouldn't fight with Asura. The last thing she told us was to find a new kishin, and that we would find one here. We connected to Maka Albarn, who has been suffering from madness for almost a month now. But we can't see souls, and we didn't know that her soul type was unbendable. You'll be relieved to know that she won't turn into a kishin." Ragnarok scoffed at her, uninterested in Maka's well-being. It was a lie, but no one had to know that Maka would never be alright aside from those who already knew.

Her information was a lot to take in. The ancient blades that were only a myth, sitting a few feet away. Ragnarok may have been an old weapon, but these were the most intimidatingly powerful swords they ever heard of. Forged with Asura's madness and blood, unable to be cut by anything and able to slice through any normal weapon with relative ease. Few stood a chance against their might.

The sun streamed like in through the window in Crona's room, and their door was open. A quick glance to the clock made her stand quickly and head to her room before she stopped and turned to face them again. Ragnarok directed their attention to her.

"You can tell Crona, but only if neither of you tell anyone our plans." She said flatly, opening her door to wake her sister.

"I have one more question." A short glance over her shoulder made Ragnarok continue on.

"If it won't work with Maka, then who was your plan B?" There was a scratching noise, followed by a creaking; as if something was bearing heavily against wood. Agnes listened closely, hearing a quiet whisper in the back of her mind. A grin split her face and she stepped into the room, slowly closing the door behind her. Rudy's eyes were open and looking at her sister's face expectantly.

"I think he's going to come to us." Rudy's voice was hushed, as to not draw Crona's or Ragnarok's attention. Her face was tight with discomfort; Agnes knew it had to do with Maka and their new specimen.

"Will she be ok?"

"I don't think she'll be the same as she was before." Rudy's crestfallen look made her avert her eyes and move towards her dresser to pick out clothes. Her sister didn't move from the bed, though there was a heavy sigh.

"It's going to work this time, right?"

"Definitely."

* * *

><p>It was cool out that morning; Agnes wondered how her sister could be wearing a skort and a t-shirt, while she was wearing a cami, a t-shirt, the school sweater, and a light coat. She was still a bit cool, but her sister's warm hand grabbed hers. Agnes stopped to turn around, seeing that Rudy was wearily pointing towards the Pot of Fire, who was waving her over. She told Crona to see her sister to school, and approached the child shaman. She knelt down and put a hand on their head, surprised to feel that they were nervous. She pulled the child to her and consoled them, wondering what it was that was bothering them.<p>

"You noticed, too?"

"Kilik, shouldn't you be in school?"

"Skip with me today. We should talk." She stood up, Fire still clutching her pantleg, and she wondered briefly what he was getting at. Maybe she was just being paranoid; it was Kilik, and while he was smart, she was better at covering her tracks than he was at finding her out. She actually wasn't even sure if he suspected her. Nobody seemed to be aware of hers or her sister's distorted souls except for Stein - and he liked to remind them often of this.

She nodded confidently, and he smiled and motioned for her to walk beside him. He was chattering away about a boxing tournament coming up, mentioning a mission with Ox and Harvar, but she quickly noticed when he grew quiet. Why was everyone acting strangely? She hoped that this wasn't what she thought it was. The little voice in the back of her head assuaged her fears, but did nothing for her nerves.

"What's bothering you? Does it have something to do with Thunder?" The other Pot was mysteriously absent, and his solemn nod made her grow somber. She was fond of both, as they were embodiments of her own natural element. What would make Thunder sick, and why wasn't Fire sick as well?

"Thunder got really sick the other day. Fire hasn't been doing well, either."

"Aren't they Earth shamans? Maybe there's something wrong in nature?" His eyes were on her suddenly and he nodded quickly. This is what he wanted to talk to her about; Kilik hadn't been sure of what was going on, but he knew it was something big - and he also knew he trusted her.

"When Asura was resurrected a while back, they had a similar reaction. I'm concerned that this is their way of warning us that-"

"That there's a new kishin about to be born."

"Exactly. And if that's the case, we need to find it before it finishes the transformation." Agnes nodded quickly, her heart racing. Kilik was asking her to help him find and kill this kishin; he trusted her enough to give her this information. Her heart dropped in her chest. She would miss Kilik and the Pots when the kishin was born, but she knew her mission well and she knew how to act the part.

"I'm with you, Kilik. Let me know if anything else like this happens - we'll pick up a few missions together and if it gets any worse, we'll tell Lord Death immediately." He smiled at her and, surprising her, he gave her a big hug.

"Thanks, I knew I could count on you, Agnes."


	17. SOUL ALONE

SOUL ALONE

3 months after Asura

* * *

><p>Maka distinctly recalled that Blair was a cat. A purple cat, with a towering black witch's hat, and she even had a little collar. She liked to lay anywhere she could, but prefered to lounge on Maka. It was their way of bonding - she slept on Maka, and played pranks on Soul. It was how she showed affection for the pair.<p>

Blair was morphing into something horrific; something inhuman, her figure twisting and bleeding. The skin would suture itself, only to tear again moments later. Her hair was falling out, each strand of violet littering the floor around her. Her teeth clattered on the ground, sanguine drops soon following. Her fingernails fell off next, and soon little plops of wet flesh were heard.

This was, by far, the worst thing Maka had ever experienced. She huddled in to corner, crying hysterically, begging for it to stop. She was holding her hands over her eyes, hoping that the familiar blackness would whisk her away to something, anything else. She only heard the stretching of Blair's skin and her raspy screams; they stopped suddenly, followed by the sound of bare feet moving across the room at a leisurely gait. She dared open her eyes, hoping that her mind was finally giving in and changing her surroundings, but she was met with one golden cat eye and a deep, forest-green one. Her mouth was contorted like a glasgow grin, and her hair was stringy with blood.

"Maka!" The voice was garbled, like static television underwater. It was a messy blend of her mother's and Blair's voices, and she could see her reflection in her eyes. The fear in her heart made her act, her hand pushing the face away childishly. She wanted this to be over. She wanted this to end.

But it persisted, and she was forced to feel the taut flesh against the cords of muscles. She felt each one twitch, before it wiggled its way further under the skin. She pulled her hand back, terrified, and it was Soul's eyes staring back at her in worry this time.

"Maka, are you alright?"

"Soul?" His eyes were wide, her hands clutching her arms even tighter when she said his name. Her viridian orbs were clear now, and it was almost as if she actually heard him. But when her hands found their way to his chest, and her eyes began to tear up, he let his hopes run wild.

"Can you hear me in there?" Her head nodded slowly and he pulled her into a hug, relief washing over him in a tsunami. His emotions got the best of him and he felt a wetness on his face that he dared no acknowledge. Maka was rigid against him for a few moments before melting into him, comforted by his presence. She knew this probably wasn't Soul, her Soul Eater, but right now this was what she wanted and no one could take this from her.

"I know you aren't real, Soul." She mumbled against him. His heart was hammering in his chest and his arms grew a bit tighter around her - and she was suddenly reminded of the time he crushed her in her palm. She wanted to pull away, but found herself weak. This felt like Soul, it smelled like him, and the real Soul wouldn't hurt her.

True to form, he released her a few moments later, his eyes searching her face.

"Are you alright?" She shook her head, and he felt his earlier concern come back tenfold. She knew she wasn't okay, and he knew it as well. But this told him that she was still fighting it, that one day she would be alright. Stein had come back from madness; hell, even Crona had come back. She would pull through. His meister was tough.

Her eyes slid closed and for some reason, Soul's heart wrenched painfully. Something told him he wouldn't talk to her again; it was enough for make him retreat from her room, not even a glance in her direction.

* * *

><p>If Soul had a family who would ask him how school went, he would have told them he didn't remember even going. It was the truth; the entire day had been filled singularly with thoughts of his conversation with Maka. He had ignored everyone, he had brushed off Black*Star -who hadn't protested, strangely- and he had ditched the last hour of class just to walk around the city.<p>

He found it so strange that everyone could go about their business normally. He saw a woman laughing with her friend, pointing at something on display, and wondered if one of them was excessively troubled like he was. Had one of them lost a family member, or perhaps a beloved pet? Were they in a constant fear of losing their job, or their home?

He threw his head back and watched the clouds passing overhead, noticing the way the sun drooped with sleep. It would be dark soon. He set his eyes forward, following the random passerby with his orbs. There was a couple out on a date; a few students from NOT class serving outside customers at Death Bucks. He saw a married couple arguing in front of their kids, and three little boys bullying a little girl with a superhero toy.

All these people surrounding him were living lies, and he was quite suddenly repulsed. He changed direction and headed towards home, his eyes downcast the entire time. He heard what sounded like Kilik calling his name in greeting, but he only walked faster. He wanted to get home before night fell, but it was still another twenty minutes of walking when the sun dipped below the horizon, its last light highlighting his path.

There was an echo somewhere, he couldn't make out what it was; someone further down the road had shouted something playfully. Taking a sharp turn, Soul went up the steps to his apartment and opened the door. Blair was lounging on the couch in her cat form and gave Soul a long, sideways glance.

"How was she?"

"She was... quiet. She didn't come out of her room today. You gonna be ok while I'm gone?" She hopped off the couch and transformed, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. He let it sit there for a few moments, the question lingering. He brushed Blair's hand away and nodded firmly.

"We'll be ok, quit worrying so much. You'll get wrinkles and turn into an old hag of a witch." She smacked his arm playfully before pulling his face to her breasts for a hug. He tried to escape it, but she planted a kiss on the top of his head before skipping out the door and waving goodbye.

"I'll see you in the morning, kittens! Behave!" His back was facing her but he returned the gesture, and when the door clicked closed, he felt his eyes begin to burn. He was exhausted - emotionally and physically. It felt like his energy had been sucked out the past few weeks, and it had finally caught up with him as he trudged to his room and fell onto the bed. He groaned loudly, then turned onto his back. In the middle of his transition, he noticed something on the edge of his vision. He sat up quickly, trying to look through the darkness of his room to find it. He figured it was just a spider and let it go, laying back down and closing his eyes. He let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Hey!" His eyes opened quickly and he looked around the room, seeing the spider skitter again. He stood up and began walking to his light switch, flipping it on. He was horrified to see thousands of _eyes _wiggling around his room, covering every inch accesible to the naked eye. He looked down at his hands and was horrified to see them covering his hands and his clothes. He closed his eyes hard, and his stomach fell to his feet when they were still there, creeping up his skin.

"Soul, can you hear me? I think we got through to him."

"W-what the hell? Who's there?" He looked wildly around the room -which seemed to be moving now that it was covered with these things- trying to find the source of the voice. It was familiar to him - maybe not Maka's voice, but a little bit flatter and softer. He had heard it so recently, too -

"What the hell are you doing in my head, Agnes!"

"I'm not in your head, Soul."

"Yeah, we're in your living room dude." His door flew open to reveal Agnes and Rudy, their eyes glowing. Even stranger, Rudy's hair was as long as her sister's, swaying past her hips. He looked at the pair, confused, before their hands shot out to grab his. He tried to pull his hands back but to no avail; they were holding on tight and they both glowed, their skin radiating a silver-ish light. Their grins matched, almost insane looking - when he realized that the marks covering him and his room were coming _from _them.

They transformed into a pair of blades, and Soul fell to his knees. It felt like they were injecting him with themselves - their memories and experiences filling his head. It felt like he was going to implode, when the proverbial light bulb when off in his head. Everything made sense quite suddenly; holding them was the rightest feeling he'd ever had.

"Soul, let's get going." A fortress flashed through his mind, Agnes' memory. A route directly from Death City, what he assumed to be a shortcut, to his new home and allies. He smiled, a large grin splitting his face. He allowed Rudy to transform back into her human form, and he snapped his fingers; his clothes were replaced by a suit with thin, white stripes on it that seemed to shudder. A closer look told Rudy it was piano wire. He pulled his free hand up to tighten his tie before looking at his new weapon.

"Cover us and we can meet further north." She nodded and watched as he hopped out of the window with her sister, Rudy closed her eyes in concentration. Cover their tracks. How was she supposed to do that? Sighing in frustration, she turned around and left the apartment. She had something else in mind.

It wasn't hard to get there, and Rudy could remember getting lost on the short trek many times before. She ducked through a few alleys and took a shortcut over a fence, and when she had the chance, Rudy used her wind to cut her hair short once more. She hated it long, and it grew fast. Soon she found herself standing at a familiar door, knocking hesitantly. Rudy waited, noticing a light turn on before the handle jingled. Tsubaki opened the door with a smile, and upon seeing Rudy, she opened the door and invited her in. She noticed the apprehension in her friend's figure, but decided to wait before asking questions.

It was a bit late, almost 10, but Black*Star was still eating at the table; a plate adjacent to his told Rudy that they had been eating. A pang of guilt went through her, realizing she had interrupted, but then she became exctited despite herself. She was going to be able to eat Tsubaki's cooking before she left.

"Rudy, won't you join us?"

"Yeah, I could eat. You don't mind?"

"As long as you don't eat my portion! A star's gotta eat!" Black*Star had resumed shovelling his food, and Tsubaki fixed Rudy a plate and set it down on the other side on her seat. She sat down and ate each piece slowly, wanting to savor this. Black*Star noticed the lack of vigor; she had been too tense lately, she had stopped hanging out with everyone. Something was very wrong with his friend, and he felt the pit in his stomach grow larger. Something was wrong with all of his friends, it seemed.

"So, Rudy, what brings you?" Of course it would be Tsubaki who would ask, and as politely as possible. Rudy finished chewing her food and set down her chopsticks; her plate was two-thirds full still. She looked at Black*Star, who was staring at her while literally drinking a bowl of rice and beef - her gaze shifted to Tsubaki, who had her hands folded neatly in her lap and was still smiling sweetly. She frowned suddenly, and Tsubaki's smile left her face; her eyes clouded with worry.

"I wanted to tell you guys a story."

"You came all this way to tell us a story?"

"Hah! That's like a travelling bard, coming here to tell a god a simple story! I'll hear you out, lay it on me." Rudy couldn't help but smile at his ever-lasting confidence, and she noticed Tsubaki still watching her. She sighed and got her thoughts together, continuing in a clear voice.

"Almost a thousand years ago, the kishin Asura was born. And shortly after, demon weapons began appearing. Humans that could turn into swords, bows, maces, axes. One of the first weapons to be made was Giriko, a chainsaw. When the kishin crossed paths with him, he escaped with his life - and a hefty sum of black blood. He returned to Arachne, the witch who created demon weapons, and gave her this blood. Together, they created a pair of ultimate weapons for the kishin."

Tsubaki and Black*Star knew this story already; it was a children's fairy tale. There were no ultimate weapons - Asura had consumed his own weapon out of fear. There was no way he could trust two people to work with him. Rudy twiddled her thumbs for a moments before standing up and excusing herself, heading towards the door. She put her shoes on, standing in front of the door for a minute or two before continuing.

"The weapons rebelled against Asura; a kishin made of fear wasn't one they would be allied with. They fought against his influence, but were overpowered by Arachne and Giriko. They were cast into the center of the Earth for eternity; and shortly after, Asura was ensnared by his own skin and trapped. They slept for over 800 years, until recently. When Asura was awoken by the witch Medusa, the weapons woke up as well."


	18. INVADING HELL

INVADING HELL

3 months, 1 week after Asura

* * *

><p>Her stomach was churning. The wind around her shuddered and rustled the leaves on the trees, making her look up at the black sky above. It had taken her about a week to walk to their meeting point; and it had been a long week.<p>

Her trek through the sandy ground was unpleasant; her legs were sore, her thighs throbbing from the effort of churning the sands. The day she managed to find dirt and grass was the day it began raining; and it hadn't stopped since. She was wet and sticky, her clothes were rubbing her the wrong way in the worst places, and she just wanted her sister to dry her off so she could fall asleep on a real bed.

Rudy wondered how Agnes had been fairing since their departure seven days ago; and it brought her back to her treachery. Why did she tell Tsubaki and Black*Star her secret? Anger bubbled in her chest and she remembered Maka - left to wallow in madness for the rest of her life. She was terrible, and she would never forgive herself. Once their plans were achived, what would happen then? It wasn't very solid to begin with.

If the entire world was bathed in madness, free of freedom, what would they do then?

Rudy still couldn't find an answer to her question, and she was sure her sister hadn't thought that far ahead. Agnes was often the one to run headfirst into things, even if it was Rudy who got them entombed for centuries. That familiar guilty feeling came back and she frowned deeply, trying to pick up the pace. She could tell they were nearby - something about the way the air changed, the warmth of it around her. After pushing through another band of branches, Rudy found herself looking at a small hunter's cabin that was occupied by none other than her sister and their kishin, Soul Eater.

Agnes' head whipped to the side, seeing Rudy outside. She opened the door and went around the side of the home, waving her in. She closed the door and looked miserably at the pair, before Agnes ushered her into the bathroom. She didn't question the running water this far into the woods; she just stripped and got into the shower. A creeping feeling came into her chest and she faced the stream of water. Nothing good would come of their plans, of that much she had been sure of.

* * *

><p>Tsubaki was still uneasy about Rudy's visit the night prior; and it seemed her meister was as well, seeing as how he had bags under his eyes. He must have been up all night, trying to figure out what she had been talking about. He was tempted to follow her, but something kept him from going; maybe it was Tsubaki's rational voice in the back of his mind.<p>

Walking into class, Black*Star was even more bothered by the fact that both sisters and Soul were missing. Tsubaki bumped into his back, as he stopped at the threshold of the door; she went to tap his shoulder, but he quickly turned around and told her to follow. Tsubaki then realized that they were headed to the death room. Black*Star's gait was fast, and she struggled to keep up; he finally stopped a few yards from Death the Kid, who was talking with his father and Professor Stein.

"What the hell do you mean, she's an enemy spy? Where's Soul? What the hell is wrong with Maka? I'm tellin you to give me answers now, dammit!" Black*Star shouted, grabbing Kid's shirt and shaking him. The younger reaper pushed his hand away and gave him a hard look.

"I knew something was off about them when I caught them training privately. I thought they were going to skin me alive right there." The death room was oddly quiet. Lord Death loomed overhead in his mirror, taking in the two bickering before him. Stein had come to him months ago about the sisters Agnes and Rudy, which he had kept an eye on. Once Maka went mad and Justin Law abandoned the city, it wasn't hard for Sid to come by information of a 'certain book' missing from their library; and once they knew what that book was, they made inferences and confirmed the sisters were hiding something.

_This _was a dark secret.

"Settle down. I'm sure Stein would be happy to explain the situation to you." The powerful meister nodded from his place on his chair before wheeling in front of the crowd; Kid was there, sans the Thompsons, Black*Star and Tsubaki were called in, and Stein was called as well.

"Those two happen to be a set of weapons; they're identical blades, but they have very different personalities. They're known as Agni and Rudra, the fire and wind blades, respectively. Legend says Arachne made them with kishin's blood so he could have perfect weapons; but then something happened and they ended up disagreeing. The two were thrown into the Earth. Soon after, Asura was captured by Lord Death, and you know the rest. I'm guessing when he woke up, they did, too.

"From what we've figured out, they're in league with the remnants of Arachnophobia and apparently, Justin Law. Their plans were to create a kishin; Maka Albarn is their failure. And since he's been gone for the same amount of time as those two, we're guessing Soul Eater was their success. We haven't found their base yet but - Black*Star, where are you going?"

Tsubaki ran to catch up with him, calling his name the whole time. He was filled with anger; they were plotting against them the whole time? They hurt Maka, and now they were going to use Soul? He had to stop this before their plan went into motion.

"Black*Star! Where are we going? Please, talk to me."

"We're gonna find the bastards, and we're gonna get Soul back."

* * *

><p>"You sure took your time catching up."<p>

"Conditions weren't ideal for walking..." Rudy was eating some hot soup that her sister had prepared for them; Soul declined the meal, making Rudy leery of him. She knew Soul as a person, but she didn't know him as a kishin. What was he born of, and would he be able to control them? They had almost killed Asura; so what would happen to Soul? She noticed a shape dart out of the corner of her eye but dismissed it as the madness that Soul gave off now; everything she was seeing could be an illusion.

"When are we leaving?"

"Well, the sun should be up in an hour or two. We'll go then; it isn't far from here." Rudy pushed her empty bowl towards the center of the table before folding her hands in her lap. She was thinking of Maka, and thoughts of Maka trailed to thoughts of Black*Star, Tsubaki, Kilik, and Liz. She missed her friends; she had bonded with them in their short time together.

"Rudra, you aren't having second thoughts, are you?" Soul purred, reaching out to brush her hand. She hissed and pulled it back; he had dosed her with madness, making the room spin and her senses dull. She shook her head convincingly, but Soul stared at her knowingly.

Agnes had trailed outside, and Soul stood up to pace around the table. Rudra watched carefully as he slowed down near her, only to whip his head to the door. She heard it as well; sounds of a battle, somewhere in the dark woods.

She was behind Soul, then quickly transformed and he held her tightly in his palm. She was reading the wind patterns, directing his body to where the disturbances were. They stumbled upon Agnes engaging Black*Star and Tsubaki; the opposing duo seemed to be having trouble against the lone blade.

"Agni!" The fire blade stopped her assault, finding Soul's voice in the blackness comforting. She transformed and soon, the kishin was wielding both blades. Their auras combined into layers of scorching fire and sharp wind blades, whipping out and searing the assassin if he got too close. Soul grinned and launched himself towards Black*Star, who jumped over the attack before diving his palm into Soul's back; he blocked with Rudy instantly, who absorbed the brunt of his wavelength attack. Black blood dripped from the blade and splattered against the ground, unnoticed.

"Soul, let's see you grit those teeth!"

Black*Star ran towards them, using Tsubaki's kusarigama to push the blades upwards so he could punch Soul in his face. The kishin was pushed back a few inches but only smirked in retaliation. The blood at his feet shot up and pierced his shoulder. Tsubaki shouted for him to pay attention, and he looked up to see Soul looming over him. He rolled away as he brought the blades down, scorching and cutting the Earth he had just occupied.

He scrambled to his feet, shouting for Tsubaki to go Enchanted Sword. As he ran back at them, Soul took a knee and swept at the meister's feet, only for Black*Star to dodge. He brought Tsubaki down on him; Soul blocked with both blades, pushing them back. They flew into a tree, and he closed his eyes against the impact.

"Soul, you dumbass." He uttered weakly, unable to pry himself from the splinters surrounding him.

Tsubaki fell from his grasp and clattered to the ground somewhere below. Soul was using Rudra's wind powers to propel him at the meister quickly, and spun himself into a razor-sharp pinwheel as he aimed for Black*Star. He feebly put up his arms, still dazed from the hit he took. He could feel the heat of the blades and his eyes snapped open, looking his best friend in the eyes only to see a kishin looking back. For once, he was pretty sure he was going to die.

Soul was pushed back harshly, almost like he was repelled. Rudra crouched over Black*Star, her arms short blades. As Soul hit a tree, he was pounded into it by a blast of wind.

"You bastard, what did you do..." He began dazedly; his eyes caught hers and saw the raw fear in them - like a cornered animal. Her hand found his and she whispered something, but he couldn't quite make it out. A worn, and much heavier weapon replaced her palm. He could feel it attaching itself to him, its memories filling his head like a movie going too fast; every fighting move, every battle, every kill.

"Black*Star! They are going to kill you!"

"Rudy? What the hell?"

"Listen to me, you idiot - run away from my voice! Stay awake, don't die. I can get you both out of here, but only if you stay awake." It was strange to see his body moving this way; her fighting style was vastly different to his own, but it was easy to see that she was much faster, and much more graceful, than he was. She kept Soul and Agni at bay, protecting Tsubaki while she tried to devise a plan to get the hell out of here before she a) changed her mind and b) accidentally killed the meister she was leeching off of.

Soul's attacks were still a bit sloppy - Agnes didn't know how to process his wavelength yet, and they hadn't figured out how to resonate. While she was in the same boat, it made it easier to slide out of the way of his attack, running her blade across his back. Black blood spewed only Black*Star's face, but Rudy used it to her advantage; she commanded his blood as easily as he could, bloody needles piercing him as they lept back.

She circled the kishin and her sister, a large blast of flames heading her way. With a downward strike, the flames were drained of all their oxygen. Soul's grip tightened on Agnes and he sent out his piano wire, piercing Black*Star's right arm. Rudy felt their connection go a bit faint before it stabilized again.

His conscious was heavy against hers, like they were squished on a chair too small for two people. It suddenly lessened its pressure, which made her realize that parrying wouldn't be enough. She had to hit her sister and Soul. Her heart dropped; this isn't what she wanted. But saving Black*Star, saving her friends, it felt more right to her than joining Soul, who could barely lift the combined blades. She believed in Black*Star. She was willing to risk her life for them.

Summoning a small amount of Black*Star's wavelength, she combined it with her own madness wavelength; she expended too much, but she managed to summon a woman made of wind.

She resembled a willow tree, her hair long and her body slim and frail. She wobbled before Soul and Agni for a few minutes before he laughed at the attack and rushed in, ignoring the fire blade's warnings -

Agni transformed right before he brought her blade down to attack, and pushed him away before the woman wrapped her arms around her and cut her a thousand times; black blood spewed from her wounds before they sealed closed. She turned her head to see that their opponents had fled, and with them, her little sister.


	19. RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD

RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD

3 months 1 week 4 days after asura

* * *

><p>She could drop at any moment. The weight of not only Tsubaki -who towered over her- but Black*Star -who was pure muscle- was right above her threshold for how much she could carry. The added difficulty of walking in sand made her legs tremble every time she picked them up to take a step. There was also the pressing matter of her mental state.<p>

She had abandoned her sister for their enemy. Rudra had been lucky enough to know what her purpose was in life, but she abandoned it when she was supposed to step up.

Not to mention, she was still experiencing bouts of violent madness. She could remember the last time they abandoned Asura; it was like withdrawal, mixed with a bad acid trip. There were eyes watching them, everywhere, making a noise like static. It filled their thoughts, and it consumed them when they tried to rest.

While the weapons dosed normal humans with madness, they were not mad themselves and were hardly affected by it. However, when the weapons bonded to their kishin, he took in their memories and they took in his madness and wavelength. This came at a cost, as she was trying to find shelter from the sun under the forest canopy that she was _convinced _was overhead.

"I'm gonna sink in this damn quicksand." She hissed, pushing harder with her legs and sprinting through the sand. In her mind, she was making absolutely no headway; and as such, couldn't understand why she was so out of breath. She felt herself sink another inch or two and groaned, Black*Star and Tsubaki falling from her arms.

She fell face first into the sand and couldn't keep her eyes open. Rudra passed out, her last thoughts about her sister. Soon after, Tsubaki was on her feet; her hands were grasping the kusarigama that came from her ponytail, and she was shakily pointing it at an unconscious Rudra.

What the hell _were _they? Why were they working with Arachnophobia, why did they break Maka? What were they going to do with Soul? She inched closer to the sleeping weapon, coiled like a snake about to strike. If she killed Rudra here and now, what effect would it have? It would ruin all of their plans, as it probably required the combined strength of the weapons. It would devastate Agni, and it could possibly make her ineffective in the fight that Tsubaki knew was coming.

But what good would it do? There were so many possibilities, but Tsubaki didn't think it outweighed killing her. For now, she decided that Rudra was better to them alive. She knelt down beside her and wrapped her tightly in the chain of her kusarigama. She turned to attend her meister, who was sweating bullets and turning fitfully. She didn't know what Rudra did to him, but she would pay for it when they got back to Death City.

* * *

><p>"I think you know what we want you to do." Rudra seemed much different than she had before she was chained to the table. Her eyes were dark and it looked as if her hair was growing as the interrogation went on. She was refusing to answer them, under the pretense that 'surely you could beg better than that'. She sneered at Stein again, regretting her choice to be brought back here. She was being interrogated, chained up, and Stein had even tried to hurt her with his wavelength.<p>

He was repaid with a bloody needle piercing his arm. She had been smiling ever since. He sighed wearily before sitting back in his chair. He took his cigarette from his mouth and tried to puff out a perfect smoke ring, only for his efforts to be thwarted every time; his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Rudra's finger shooting out little bursts of air at just the right time. He put it out against his heel, deciding that he needed a break. He stood up and adjusted his coat before exiting her little dungeon room.

Why did they have a dungeon, the question came back to her and she chuckled. Now she knew why; they built it for people like her, who they couldn't kill but hated. She had been repulsed by the idea of Crona living here - but now she understood why. They stuck him in here because he wasn't eating human souls anymore, but they couldn't forget such a serious transgression that easily. She pulled against the chains again, making them clank and echo noisily. Her mind began to wander, her left hand holding the chains of her right hand, when the door opened.

"I didn't expect this. To what do I owe this visit?"

Death the Kid felt much like her at the moment; he regretted coming here. Why did Stein send for him? He frowned, sitting down in the chair across from her. He saw her hand holding one of the chains and felt a pang of sympathy - if only for the fact that a wind spirit never liked being chained. He reached over to her and set down the key, and she slowly slid it back to her and undid the cuffs. She let out a sigh of relief before throwing her hand over her shoulder, the hair that had grown falling off immediately. She gave him a smile and a thumbs up.

"Thanks. I hate when it gets too long. So, like I asked, what would Death the Kid want with me?"

"Do you have any friends here?" Her eyes clouded with confusion, unsure of his direct tone. She danced around the question for a few minutes, wondering if she should give him a bullshit answer or if she should tell him straight. She chose for something inbetween.

"Not anymore."

She squirmed under his gaze, and his fingers threaded together and came to rest in front of his mouth, elbows propped up on the table. Agni and Rudra feared very few in this world, but among them were the reapers. If he so chose, he could force her to transform and suck her soul out from the handle of her weapon. It was terrifying, to think one individual held such a power to make humans and weapons alike stop in their tracks.

"Why did you come back, then?"

"You really wanna know?" It was a full five minutes before she had bothered to reply, but she got his attention. Of course he wanted to know; he wanted to know everything. Why bother coming back? She had the kishin, she had a plan. Why would she return to the place she was being hunted, if only to seek punishment.

It never dawned on him that she would do something reckless like this. Treason was a word that came to mind, but he reminded himself that she had never been on their side in the first place; she came here to twist a soul into a kishin, and to do that, she had to get close to people. It must be a sham, this whole act must be fake.

"Maka Albarn was our target. She was gonna be our kishin; but her soul was too pure, and we abandoned her. She's been swimming in her own madness for weeks. We destroyed her life; she was gonna go on a trip with her mom, she was gonna make Soul into a Death Scythe. And if I had anything to do with it, her and Soul were totally gonna get married and have cute kids. But we ruined that. And then Soul slipped up somewhere, and we dug our fangs in him and we broke him, too.

"But the worst part of this is that I really shouldn't care. My mission was to destroy their lives anyway, right? I was going to destroy their lives, and Kilik would never get to box again, and Black*Star would never surprass whatever the hell there is left to surpass, and you'll never surpass your father. No one would be able to do what they were fated to do, if I did what I was told to. I can sacrifice that. I don't know what'll become of me, or my sis, but saving Black*Star and Tsubaki and coming back here is the only thing I think I've ever done right."

Her brow was pinched, and she was staring at a particular point on the table with an intense look of confusion and guilt. He hadn't expected her to admit that she had no reason to care about the damage she had done; and he certainly didn't expect her to feel bad about it.

For one of the first times, he was able to see the soul surrounding her. He leaned back inconspicuously in his chair and gave it a good once-over; he was startled to see what resembled a shrunken head with its lips pulled into a stitched grimace. Her soul was blue, and its eyes were boring into him. How the hell had no one noticed before? He was staring at it, the eyes drawing him in. She was calling his name, but he ignored her. Suddenly, the soul was replaced with a small, blue-ish glowing ball in her chest.

"It's a mock-up of soul protect. I'm surprised it got by everyone for so long."

"Oh, it didn't." Her spine was rigid and her eyes were dark again. If she were an animal, she would be growling and hissing. Stein had come back, and Kid had to wonder what it was that made her so nervous around him. He took a deep drag from his cigarette before he was suddenly behind her. Rudra was rigid as a board, his fingers wrapping around her neck to tighten a collar to it. The smoke that had been dispersed by her aura, but it was stagnant the moment the collar was attached.

"Lord Death wants to see you. Everyone's got questions for you."


	20. I'LL HEAD TOWARDS TOMORROW

I'LL HEAD TOWARDS TOMORROW

3 months, 2 weeks after Asura

* * *

><p>It was cold and dark. For eternity it stretched, a blanket of absolute black against what felt like granite. Agni had been standing here for what seemed like years. Her entire mind was covered in madness, and the buzz was a welcome distraction; but it could only do so much for the anguish in her heart.<p>

She had never imagined being apart from her sister; they had never been separated. She didn't know that she would be consumed by an emptiness that even the madness couldn't fill. Why did her sister leave her? There was no warning to her treason; no words that would make it better.

They were forged from the same cursed steel; the same black blood flowed in their veins. They were sisters as humans, and sisters as weapons. They were a pair that drew strength off of the other. Fire was accentuated by wind, and vice versa.

The numbing darkness was too much for her; if only Rudra was with her. They shared this space, communicated through this dark space of madness. But now it was quiet; not even the echo of her sister's memory remained. She let out a heavy sigh, which seemed to bounce off of invisible walls. It was deafening, making her cover her ears painfully.

Had she really valued these people more than her? Could she really abandon her to help the people they were working to enslave? Agni bitterly supposed that she _could_ do those things because she _had._ She only wondered now if she regretted her decisions.

Agni had been in her weapon form for four full days and was beginning to get achey and fidgity. She wanted to stretch and fight - a sad realization overcame her that she wouldn't be able to fight as a meister anymore. She had no weapon to wield. She was no longer calling the shots; Soul was in command now.

But being with Soul, being with the chosen entity of madness, was the best thing that had happened to her.

This is what she was meant to do, this was the sole purpose she was created. To serve a kishin who could be twisted to her will, unlike Asura. He had been too scared of her plans, and she had cast him aside. Now Soul would lead them in spreading world-wide panic among thousands of countries. She had big plans for him, and she only hoped he could live up to them.

"Agni, we're here." A flash of light blinded him, and moments later Agni took form beside him, stretching her back and legs. Her fingers were twitching, and every now and then she would jerk her head to the side; as if she saw something just on the edge of her vision. They were standing at the gaping maw of a cave, hesitant to enter. It sounded as though something had taken up residence here; but this was the place her memories showed him.

He reached back and grabbed her arm, pulling her with him as he entered the cave. She followed dilligently, humming quietly to herself. It was pitch black after a few moments, and Soul almost panicked. A soft glow radiated from behind him and he turned to see Agni desperately huddling close to a small flame. Another memory came to him; a fear of darkness. He felt a vague pang of sympathy for his weapon before rolling his eyes and releasing her arm.

They continued on, Soul walking slow enough for her flame to light his path, and Agni haulted her humming. A few more feet and sconces dimly marked the beginning of the lair.

Soul's shoes clicked against the hard rock that made up a network of caves. Arachnophobia had holed up here, their last hidden retreat buried deep in woods of what could be a national park. There were almost no members walking around; there was a stray subordinate in a gray-ish lab coat, and another one in black robes, but that was it. It seemed that the organization had truly gone to ruin after Arachne's demise.

Agni quickly took the lead and they silently wove their way through what seemed to be a maze. Soul recalled that she was awful with directions and had probably gotten lost; this was reinforced when they passed the entrance a second time. He almost took the lead, opening his mouth to say something, when they came into a large room with a wooden table in the center.

Justin Law, Giriko, and Mosquito all rose when they walked to their seat. It was Giriko who spoke first.

"Where is Rudra?"

"She rejected me and ran back to the DWMA."

Everyone's faces displayed something different. Mosquito didn't look surprised, he only wrinkled his nose at the inconvenience. Giriko began cursing and sputtering out 'this won't work' for a few moments before Justin Law stood up. The look on his face was severe; contorted by anger and frustration. First Maka was inelligable, and now they had lost one of their main pieces in this operation?

He wiped his face before sitting back down with a sigh. The cocky look came back, and Agni felt her brow furrow. What was he so confident about? Surely he knew every implication that came with having half of a set; Agni wasn't nearly as strong as she normally would be. Not only that, but she was also much harder to control without her sister. It was like running electricity through an open circuit; unless they could fill the spot Rudra had left, they wouldn't be able to fully resonate.

Justin was in a bit of a pinch and he could admit that. He had lost the versatile twin; but Rudra was also defiant. If she had defected later in their plans, everything would fall apart. But there was still time to bring Soul and Agni up to speed. After all, Agni was much more powerful than her sister, and she also followed orders.

He laced his fingers in front of his face and rested his elbows on the table, motioning for Giriko to speak. If anyone would be able to find a way around the rules, it was the one who wrote them.

Giriko wasn't so sure of this now. He had been tagging along so he could get the chance to not only witness a very real change in the world -due in part to his own work, no less- but to get the chance to fight again. Without Rudra, it would take much longer to get Agni acclimated to being wielded and channeling madness alone.

"Look, I don't wanna say this is gonna work 'cause it's not. But if you can manage to train a weapon and a meister how to switch roles and be able to go up against other weapons and meisters of equal strength, as well as making Agni a weapon who can shatter the world solo, _then _you can consider this plan. If only for the fact that we needed Agni more than we did her sister." Her intense glare was something he recalled with almost despair.

But this was different. Her gaze was burning him, her hair dancing behind her and burning the chair. She was fire given corporeal form and she commanded respect; not only for herself, but for her sister as well. Even if Rudra had abandoned her, and even if Agni wasn't aligned with her, neither sister would stand for any slander to come to each other. It was the only thing they could solidly do for each other, regardless of affiliation.

"She'll come back. If she took them, it was to protect them; it's only a matter of time before she follows them in their attempt to thwart our plans."

"She can't be that stupid. She knows what'll happen if she comes near me." Agni shot a pointed look at Soul, saying that she _was _that stupid. Soul's madness called to the sisters, no matter how far they were from him. It pulled them to him, made them more aggressive and it made them stronger. When they came in contact with him, it was the beginning of a bond that wouldn't be broken until his death; as was the case with Asura.

If Soul got his hands on Rudra, her defection would be pointless.

"We need to get you two trained and ready to fight before we start moving." Mosquito had stood from his seat and began pacing. He was planning out training regimes, katas, soul resonance. He was planning every moment of every type of training they could possibly need to combat the students of the DWMA; he knew better than anyone that they were more formidable than they appeared.

Justin nodded to this and offered his services as a teacher. While he may not have been alive as long as Mosquito, he was certainly proficient in adapting to unfamiliar fighting styles. Agni hesitated, but Soul was quick to accept. He needed to know how to harness this power within him, if he was going to use it.

"What is our plan, anyway? It doesn't seem like my 'madness' or whatever is affecting you, much less the whole world." Law grinned at this, making Giriko blanch and leave the table. He didn't need to hear this spiel again; he would much rather terrorize the little witch while Mifune wasn't looking.

"We're going to activate a series of explosions within the connection of magma chambers that make up the Ring of Fire. These explosions will cause eruptions of volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. No one will be safe, everyone will fear for their lives. Your madness will grow as you wield the swords; which is why we needed both of them. But Agni will be more than enough to begin the process. Your madness, whether it is added at the beginning or end of this plan, will plummet the world over the edge of sanity."

Over the course of Justin's theatrical explaination, Soul's face split with a disgusting grin; there were gears spinning in his head, and his vigor was renewed. He needed to learn how to control his powers, and Agni needed to learn how to properly channel his madness to augment her element. If they could pull it off, then the entire world would be soaked in madness, everyone filled with fear and irrational anger. Chaos would descend and grip the human population, madness becoming a revolution to free them from all the bound them.

If this plan worked, he would be able to go back to Maka.


	21. INCOMPLETE

INCOMPLETE

3 months, 2 weeks after Asura

* * *

><p>"I'm glad you could make it, Rudra."<p>

"Always a pleasure, Lord Death." She would have bowed, but she was wrapped in chains. They pinched her skin painfully if she moved the wrong way; and considering she walked from the basement to the Death Room, Rudra wasnt too keen on adding more bruises to her collection. Stein was standing behind her, and Kid had moved to stand with his father and Spirit. The death scythe was giving her a scathing look, one she returned with a smile.

Stein's hand was on her back, pushing her towards the steps that became the platform that Lord Death's mirror loomed over. He was standing a few feet in front of it, waiting patiently for the pair to come closer so he could size her up better.

"So, I don't think it's very hard for us to guess what you're doing here."

"It seemed pretty hard for Kiddo to figure it out." A Reaper Chop was only inches above her head before the wind pressure stopped it. Indignant, the reaper pulled back his large hand. He should have known that would happen; after all, these weapons knew what his touch would do to them.

"You came here to make a kishin; and what will you do now that you have one?"

"That's the funny thing, you keep thinking there was a plan. My plan was to follow Agni, and her plans were her own."

"Then why did you decide to come back?"

"It's more complicated than me simply returning to face punishment. I rejected the kishin Soul Eater and I allied myself with Black*Star, who is superior in power. He was no exception to the effects of wielding me; and as such, I acted to protect my meister and his weapon before myself." There was a strange silence in the room, one that felt unnatural. Everyone had words on the tips of their tongues, but no one was able to speak.

She had chosen Black*Star as her meister? The question was rolling around in everyone's minds, but the person it bothered the most was Kid. How could she choose a different meister? Weren't her abilities costly to those who used them? If that wasn't true, then why was Black*Star in the hospital? Were her intentions to control him this whole time?

Just then, Kid caught her eyes. It was like in the dungeon; she wasn't lying, but she wasn't happy with the truth that she was sharing. She had to choose the strongest person in the immediate vicinity that could battle a new-born kishin, and the only option was him. Rudra knew the consequences of being held by human hands; it was harder to redirect their soul wavelength, and it was also harder to keep them alive.

The extreme power the swords granted came at a heavy price. While the wielder experienced increased speed and power, their minds were taken control of; the weapons would become parasites, controlling a body while wielding themselves.

"I didn't want to know a whole lot after... After what happened with Maka. But I know they're going somewhere in Hawaii; something to do with volcanoes. And if they have Agni, whose sole power is to fire in all its forms..." She left the question hang.

"Whose side are you on?"

She couldn't bring herself to say Black*Star; he was too impulsive for her to follow him singularly. She couldn't say Tsubaki and Black*Star, because even combined they had too many flaws for her to want to depend on them. She couldn't say Agni, because following Agni would mean following a path she couldn't continue down. Rudra would never follow a reaper; much less Stein or Death Scythe.

"Black*Star, Tsubaki, Kilik, the Pots, Maka, Liz, Patti, Crona, Ragnarok... Even Kid. Apart, you all have too many flaws for me to be able to follow you. But all of you together? I could get behind that."

* * *

><p>She may have had them convinced she was no threat, but they still slapped a leash on her and told Stein to hold the other end.<p>

The meister tugged harshly on her, and she gagged in an exaggerated fashion before turning back to him and sticking out her tongue. She hated the fact that he had stuck her with this guy, though. Stein was one of the only meisters she couldn't control; he was already teetering on the edge of madness, but his soul was powerful. Combined with the madness, he would swallow her and wield her empty carcass; a sword with no wind.

She frowned and turned the corner, walking a bit slower when the collar pressed against her neck a bit too harshly. Rudra didn't like these confines, but she supposed it was alright. She needed to make some rounds now. It had been a week, but Black*Star was still in the hospital. It was to be expected; he almost completely crumbled before her might.

They came upon the sick bay and Stein went in first; Rudra hesitated, unsure of if she could face what she had done. He didn't tug this time, he let her stand there and decide. Her foot slowly lifted and she resumed her pace, quickly finding herself hovering over Black*Star. She figured he would be the easiest to apologize to, if she had to start somewhere.

She had put him in more danger by trying to help him, she knew. Lord Death was busy preparing to strike Arachnophobia and Agni, but he had suffered heavy losses from their plans; Maka, one of their strongest meisters and one of the only meisters who could sense souls was entrenched in madness, and her weapon Soul Eater posed an entirely different problem.

They didn't need to deal with a kishin on top of two ancient and powerful blades.

Her eyes slowly travelled up his body, taking in the dark scars on his hand. Without thinking, her fingers reached out to touch the lightning-like scar tissue, only for him to jolt awake and grab her hand. He blinked a few times before his face contorted in anger, and he brought his other fist up to punch her. His hand grazed her face, and she was staring at him in shock. She knew what that punch should have done.

She would be surprised if he could even stand up right now. She had rooted herself deep in him and she took his strength as payment for her power.

"I'm sorry." He snorted at her and crossed his arms across his chest.

"For what?"

"Black*Star, I don't know where to start. Honestly. There's a lot that you've learned, I'm sure. And I don't think I'd forgive me, because I did some sheisty things. Like hurting Maka. I don't know why I even went along with it; maybe it's because I'm too much of a coward to do the right thing when it matters." She was looking at him, her face worn as she let out a long, unsteady breath.

He couldn't fathom it. She was apologizing to the wrong person, for starters; yeah, he was pissed that she had taken part in breaking Maka's soul, and yeah, he wasn't okay with his best bro being the center of madness and evil, but she hadn't hurt him. Tsubaki had filled him in on what had happened after she took control of his body.

It was strange to see his weapon, the sweet, mild-mannered woman, so enraged. She had gone on about betrayal, about how Rudra had come here with the intention to hurt people; and as such, she couldn't be sorry when she did it. It made sense to him. But this didn't.

"Have you talked to Tsubaki? Or Crona?"

"You were the first person I thought of. I messed you up pretty badly." Her gaze shifted from her lap to his skin; streaks of shiny scar tissue marred his arms and neck, and she was sure there was more under the gown. She knew what happened when she fused to a normal human.

"I'm surprised I didn't kill you."

"Tch, there's no way I'd die by wielding a weapon! I'm the man who surpassed God! And since you're a weapon _fit _for a God, then it only makes sense that I was able to use you."

She didn't know if she should argue that _she _had used _him_. It was confusing enough that he wasn't hostile anymore; especially after she admitted to harming some of his closest friends. She couldn't imagine what Agni would do right now if she were here-

A frown marked her displeasure at the thought of her sister. Rudra didn't want to admit it - but she hated every moment of being alone. There was no comforting presence near her while she slept. And while she never depended on others - Rudra would once against hate to admit it - she depended on her sister desperately. She was independant because her sister allowed it.

"Do you accept or reject my apology?"

"I reject it, cause you don't need to apologize to me. You need to talk to Maka."

"Whoa, no way, you're not smoking in here!" Nygus was on Stein before he even brought the lighter to his cigarette. He looked warily back at Rudra before dropping the leash and stepping outside. Nygus returned to her office to fill out more reports, and to look over papers.

It was awkward, being interrupted in the middle of an important conversation. But Rudra took this opportunity - she stood up and leaned close to Black*Star, seemingly fluffing his pillows.

"If I can get my hands on Maka, it might cure her. Our madnesses may cancel each other out, their backlash would affect only me. I haven't told anyone else about this because I'm not even sure if it'll work-"

He weakly headbutted her, making her wince and rub the spot; a thin line of blood dripped down and he was surprised to see that it was black. He should have expected it; but the pain in his shoulder came back as he placed a hand over it. She swatted his hand away and put hers over the wound before pressing down. It felt as though shrapnel was trapped in his skin, and she was holding a magnet over him. It was pull out of him and he noticed blood dotting his bandages. In Rudra's hand was a solid, black ball that she absorbed into her hand.

"What the hell was that?"

"My blood is black. I can harden it in my veins, or I can harden it on the ground. I can make ice patches, bloody needles, bloody rain. And the thing about this stuff is that if it gets into a human, it'll make them go mad after a while." He remembered something similar about Crona; their blood was black. Maybe they were related? He chuckled to himself before remembering her earlier information. She could get Maka back. He sat himself up in the bed, all of his muscles protesting.

"I drained you of every bit of strength you had. You need to rest. If you don't, you'll die and then there will be no way that we could hope to beat Agni and Soul."

"You mean she didn't come back with us?" Her downcast expression made him regret asking. Stein opened the door and motioned for Rudra to come with him. She mustered up a smile; she didn't have it in her to answer him.

She picked up the leash and strode to the door, handing it to the meister. She turned to face Black*Star, who was still watching her.

"Okay. I'll talk to Maka."


	22. KEEP QUIET

KEEP QUIET

3 months 3 weeks after Asura

* * *

><p>Maka had been moved into the dungeon of the DWMA, only a few rooms down from where Rudra was staying. It took a lot of time, and a lot of thought; but she decided to do this alone, and now was her best chance. The sun had set hours ago, a cool breeze coming between the bars overhead. Rudra stood from her bed and slipped on her shoes, quietly making her way towards the cell door.<p>

She closed her eyes and gathered wind in her hands; she had complete control of it as she sent it down both ends of the hall, sensing only one guard by the stairs. She pressed one hand to the lock on her door, and using her wind power, she forced the lock to rust completely, allowing the bars to open.

She slipped down the hallway, making sure to stop and feel the air before taking another step. She came upon a wooden door with no handle; the door seemed to open with a push, and she let it close behind her. The room was pitch black, not even a small opening protected by bars. Anyone would go insane in this room, and it certainly wouldn't help someone who was.

"Maka?" It was a test, trying to feel out where the meister could be, but to no avail. She shimmied away from the wall and into the darkness, her hands outstretched as she strained to hear the other occupant. Maka was either sleeping or she was watching her, silent and curious.

There was a shuffling noise to her left, but failed to turn in time to dodge a punch that hit her ear. Her balance was gone as she fell to the ground, battling nausea and the meister who was on top of her, scratching and punching her. She rolled them both over in an attempt to restrain her, but she was much smaller and much weaker than Maka was.

"Soul!" Maka was repeating his name over and over as she pummled Rudra; she had caused this, and she knew what they had done to Soul. She would never see him again, and she would never escape the hell inside her head. Rudra had stopped trying to console Maka and soon the former meister realized that the weapon hadn't moved in quite some time.

Rudra slowly reached up and grabbed Maka's hands; there was still that spark, that little string of fate that kept the two bound. Maka took in her memories, her thoughts, and everything that could happen in the future. The meister stilled; a message was hidden within them, a plea for help when the time came. Rudra knew she would never be forgiven; but Maka confirmed that she would rise to the occasion, sane or not.

* * *

><p>"I've never seen you." Rudra knew who she was - it wasn't hard to figure it out. She was one of Lord Death's very own personal weapons. If memory served, this woman transformed into a pair of tonfa, and she was also able to cure Stein of his madness. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth; <em>that's <em>why Stein wasn't here today. She was driving him insane, and Lord Death sent the only one who would be unaffected to babysit her.

"My name is Marie; I'm a friend of Professor Stein. I'm here to-"

"Did he put you up to this? I have things I need to do today and I think Lord Death would be more comfortable with his favorite student showing me around." Marie gave her a deep frown before waggling a finger at her; Rudra's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I'm competent enough to follow you around all day. So, where to?" Marie unlocked the cell and Rudra allowed her to put the collar on. Just to get her point across, as Marie reached towards her neck, she threw her hand over her shoulder to cut her hair. The leash was clipped on quickly and if she hadn't been expecting the response, she would be in the wall.

Marie had transformed her arm into a hammer and it swept at Rudra from the side. She dropped flat to the ground and let it pass her by. She turned her arm back and gave the sword a pointed look. Rudra simply smiled back at her and stood up, dusting herself off.

"I'd like to go see Crona first."

She lead Marie out of the dungeon -and she was surprised to see that her sense of direction was worse than Agni's- and they wove through the halls of the school. There were a few NOT students attending their regular classes, but there were no mandatory EAT classes today. Rudra wished she was still in school simply so she could get the day off.

But she had decided last night that she planned not only to follow her friends, but to start building a new base of trust. If they were going to fight together, Rudra had to know if they would protect her, and she needed to make sure they knew she would protect them. Marie had been humming for a majority of the walk, a vaguely familiar tune that she heard Soul hum from time to time.

But when they stepped from the massive staircase of the school, Marie began talking.

"So, Rudra-"

"Rudy. I kind of prefer Rudy." She didn't want to admit it to anyone, but she didn't know Marie and she wanted to pretend she was as good a person as everyone thought she was. She wanted to go back to being Rudy, but she couldn't do that if she didn't tell them about Rudra. She had kept a lot from her friends, and of all the people she knew were angry with her, Tsubaki and Crona were the ones she needed to be with her.

"Okay. Rudy it is. So, Rudy, tell me about yourself."

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"Whatever you want to. I just don't think anyone knows much about you; and if we're going to be friends, we need to know about each other." She thought about that for a long time. It was hard for her to think of things that were relevant; did Marie want to know about her as a weapon? Or as a person?

"I, uh, don't like to fight. I like Tsubaki's cooking. I'm more independent than my sister; and I'm worried about her."

"Is she your big sister?" Rudra nodded. She was relieved that Marie wasn't as critical as Kid or Stein would be - she was as honest as she seemed. Rudra mentioned her sister's cooking as well - Agni might not have been on Tsubaki's level, but she knew a lot of comfort food recipes. Everything she made was spicy, she recalled with a laugh. She missed her sister. She wished Agni was here with her; maybe then she would be able to face Tsubaki later on.

Her old apartment brought forth a sense of deja vu. Her and Marie ascended the stairway, knocking a few times on the door before Crona answered it. Their eyes narrowed before they shifted to Marie, prompting them to open the door and invite the pair in.

Crona hadn't done much with the place in the three weeks she had been gone; there was a blanket on the back of the couch. Rudra noticed her bedroom door was closed, and with a glance back she saw that Crona had added some cereal to the kitchen. Nothing else had changed. The weapons sat on the couch while Crona stood nervously a few feet away, unsure of why Rudra was here. Ragnarok formed out of their back and waved happily at both of them.

"Hey, sis! I see you came back!" Crona's eyes narrowed again and the demon sword actually backed down, perched quietly on their shoulders. They were angry with Rudra; not only did Crona blame her for what befell Maka and Soul, but they were angry with her on a personal level. How could Rudra do the things she did, how could she lie to everyone that had wanted to help her?

Crona was angry with her because she reminded them of their own past mistakes..

"Crona, let me fix you two some tea and you can catch up." Crona stuttered out a thanks while Marie just smiled and headed for the stove. Crona moved to sit beside Rudra; they didn't know how to voice their anger with her. The confrontation wasn't something Crona wanted any part of, but it had to be done so it wouldn't happen again.

"Crona, I wanted to apologize."

"Do you think that's enough?" She was a bit surprised that they were rejecting the outright apology, but something inside her was happy that Crona wasn't letting her off with a simple sorry. She had lied to them not only about Maka, but about their intentions. She had hurt Crona in more ways than one, and she could understand the hostility.

"No, the apology itself won't be enough. Which is why I'm here; I was hoping that you would hear me out. I want to run something by you."

They nodded hesitantly, unsure of where she was going with this. She came here to talk?

"I came here with the intention to hurt people. I succeeded in that; however, I've made myself miserable in the process. I want to fix Maka, I want to bring Soul back. I want you to know how deeply I regret following that path for so long, but now I'm aiming for something different. I want to help my friends, I don't want to see a world without you all. I want you to help me on this path; I know you aren't much of a leader, Crona, but I'm a follower."

"You want me to... Lead you? Where? I don't know how to deal with this..." Marie came back with the tea, the same warm smile on her face. Rudra simply held her cup, waiting for Crona to say something more. Did they forgive her? Would they trust her again? They sipped their tea, Ragnarok slurping loudly. A long silence passed and the ticking of their goofy frog clock -from Soul, courtesy of "my jackass brother, Wes"- filled the room.

"I don't think I can forgive you... For hurting my friends. But if you're trying to not be bad anymore, well... That sounds good." They reached out shyly and Rudra's eyes went wide when their fingers rested on her hand. She hadn't expected to be forgiven; but their acknowledgement of her goals was more than enough to reassure her that Crona would stand by her when the time came.

* * *

><p>"Did it go the way you wanted it to?"<p>

"No, but I'm happy with the outcome nonetheless." Marie reached out and brushed her hand comfortingly against her arm, only for the weapon to draw back quickly. It dawned on her in that moment that Rudra was evil - but couldn't help but feel confused. This girl had returned voluntarily, carrying a meister and his weapon on her back while completely insane. She had gone to great lengths to repent for her former deeds; it almost reminded her of the meister they had just been with.

It was later in the day, 3 in the afternoon. They had been at Crona's for the better part of two hours; now they were heading back towards the academy. She began to head towards the steps only to be stopped by Rudra's leash; the weapon was standing obstinate, a strange look on her face.

"I don't have to go back already, do I? I still need to talk to someone."

"Oh, no, that's fine. Who are you going to speak with now? Are you apologizing to someone else?"

A short nod was all it took for Marie to figure out that Rudra didn't want to talk much about this person. She lead the death scythe through the winding streets with expert knowledge; Marie felt faintly concerned that an enemy was so intimate with their town. It wouldn't be the first time.

They arrived at more student apartments; Marie was still wondering who was going to be behind the door. A swift knock and a polite "Hold on, please", a few moments passed.

Tsubaki Nakatsukasa wasn't who she expected to open the door; Marie was completely taken off guard when she slammed the door in Rudra's face. The weapon turned her head and looked at Marie, wondering what she should do next, when Black*Star opened the door.

"Oh, shit." He let out a deep sigh before opening the door wider for them to enter. Tsubaki seemed to be holed up in her room, which made Rudra feel a bit worse. She had upset one of her closest friends, and she couldn't handle what was to come without the steady hand of Tsubaki.

"I wanted to talk to Tsubaki, but it seems as though she would rather not be spoken to." Black*Star knocked on her door and the weapon opened it to pull him inside, closing it again quickly. He gave her a confused look before beginning to ask why she was acting so harshly, when she clapped a hand over his mouth. Her eyes held a fury he had never known to be in her.

"I don't want to talk to her, I don't know that woman. I had a friend named Rudy, but she never existed apparently. She almost killed you _and _Maka. How can anyone forgive someone for hurting their closest friends?" She proved a great point, like she always did.

"You should hear her out, and whatever you decide after she's talked to you, I'll go with it." She nodded, accepting the terms. She would listen to what Rudra had to say, even if it was all lies. She didn't need to ask Black*Star to stay out of this conversation; Marie had began making tea in the kitchen and he joined her, while Tsubaki headed into the living room to join Rudra.

She hesitantly sat down beside her; Marie delivered two cups of fresh tea before retreating back to the kitchen with Black*Star and trying to listen in on the conversation. Rudra wanted Tsubaki to start, but the other weapon seemed intent on ignoring her in favor of watching the steam rise from her cup.

"Tsubaki, I-"

"If you try and apologize I will have Miss Marie escort you out." Rudra's mouth snapped shut and she set her tea cup down. Well, how was she supposed to do this? Tsubaki didn't even want to hear an apology. How could she begin to explain herself?

"I was led astray once. As a consequence, my sister and I were entombed in the Earth for almost 800 years; and I never thought she would forgive me. And she didn't, until we clawed our way out and Arachne was making us drink gallons of water when we surfaced; she said it was alright. I never came here expecting you to forgive me, but I want to know what it's going to take for you to trust me again."

"I never knew you. I still don't. You're going to tell me everything, from the day you crawled out of your pit to right now, you and I sitting on this couch."

"Well, it started a few months ago; the air changed, we could taste it in the dirt that was churning in the magma. Agni said, if you can cut the rock, I can move all of this out of our way. She always had a way of making me do things I didn't want to..."


	23. IMITATION GOLD

IMITATION GOLD

4 months after asura

* * *

><p>She crouched and ran towards him, one arm swirling into a blade that was aimed to tear into his side. He raised his palm and with a flick of his wrist, Soul broke her nose and sent her flying into the wall across the room. Blood dripped to her feet and formed into needles; they pierced his flesh but didn't get far, as his own blood hardened.<p>

She transformed her other arm as well, and fire began to spew from her hair. She was irritated that she couldn't defeat Soul yet; he was faster than her, and his power as a kishin was now under control. The squint of an eye, the twitch of a muscle, any vague movement from him could carry with it a wave of madness that burned even her. Agni was proud; and the fact that she was losing after all this time didn't sit well with her.

Soul had scythes come from his back and above his elbows, a nasty smirk on his face. He knew he was stronger than her, he knew she knew. She charged at him almost recklessly, but the solid rock beneath his feet began to grow hot. To his absolute surprise, it became magma and burned his shoes and feet. Jumping away, black blood scabbed on his toes and heels. She was certainly much more powerful than her sister; to be able to turn rock into molten lava was something he couldn't begin to fathom.

"Working hard, I see. Soul, Agni, have you worked on resonance yet?" Justin Law was irritated by the bored looks he recieved from them, but took them as a no. After a few minutes of contemplating his options, he decided to challenge them. How else could he gauge their compatibility? Blades came from his forearms as he approached the pair. Agni approached Soul, who was getting back onto his feet after they were burned. Her hand reached his in time for them to block the attack that would undoubtedly have taken off Soul's head.

Agni took partial control of Soul and ducked down to kick out Justin's feet, but he jumped and kicked Soul in the chin instead. More drops of blood fell as he scrambled to dodge the next attack; Agni bought him a few moments by launching the bloody needles, scratching Justin's face.

The death scythe pulled his lips back into what seemed like a grin; it shook Agni and to some degree, even Soul. A tsunami of madness fell over Justin Law and everything went negative; Agni's blade was a pure white shining through the darkness, and Soul's piercing red eyes glowed. He went to attack the pair again but thought better of it; he had other reasons for visiting them.

Soul slowly let his guard down and allowed Agni to part from his hand. Justin Law smiled appreciateively at them.

"You're progressing nicely. However, it's time for us to move bases. The plan will be put into motion soon.

"What about the DWMA? Surely Rudy has told them our plans by now. They'll be amassing a force to take us down, as they've done in the past."

He thought about this for a few moments. Their prime candidates were Death the Kid, Black*Star, Maka, Kilik Rung, Ox Ford, and Kim Diehl, accompanied by their weapons. They were two teams that could also group resonate, and they were on the front lines when the DWMA went to claim Brew and to fight Aracnophobia.

Maka Albarn was incapacitated, and her weapon was now her enemy; she was also the only meister he knew of that could resist madness. A key player against them was taken down already. That also destroyed the strongest team, making group resonance and therefore power plays that much more difficult.

Black*Star has the Nakatsukasa weapon, which had the ability to shift between three or four forms; to his knowledge, she was able to turn into a shuriken, a smoke bomb, a ninja sword, and she had absorbed the enchanted sword as well. Black*Star was also part of the Star clan, known for their tenacity and brutality. He was in a class of his own in strength; but he had proven susceptible to madness before, and would likely fall to it again.

If Rudra had chosen him as a meister, he would quickly find himself staring over the edge.

Death the Kid was a reaper and also vulnerable to madness; he also had a tendancy to lose focus in the midst of battle. He had twin weapons, a pair of pistols he picked up in New York. Justin Law always found them distasteful, though his encounters with them were few.

Kilik, Ox, and Kim were all very used to fighting in tandem, and they were almost as powerful as the first team. Kilik was an accomplished boxer, and he was very in tune with his weapons - not to mention, Agni was very fond of the trio. The Pots were both able to read her due to her composition of fire; Fire was much more attuned to her than Thunder was, but they were most likely to break her from Soul.

Ox Ford was at the top of his class, and if Justin recalled correctly, he had almost beat Maka for that position on more than one occassion. While studious, he was also vehement with his training. He and his weapon Harvar were better together than they were separate; that didn't mean they should be underestimated if separate.

Kim Diehl was the one he had heard the least about - but her weapon Jaqueline O. Lantern Dupree showed how versatile she was on the field. She could be used as a weapon, transportation, a signal, or a light. Kim was also very aware of her weapon and was able to utilize a new attack within moments of concieving an idea.

The two that stood before him weren't very impressive; Soul Eater, a scythe and the kishin. He was finally coming into his own strength, but would he be able to hold his own against Death's finest? His gaze shifted towards the taller weapon, Agni. She was specially crafted for kishin wavelengths, but she was also capable of taking complete control of the kishin's mind during battle.

She was unable to be damaged by normal weapons - and now that she was apart from Rudra, that could change.

Rudra. Would they send her to this fight as well? It would be a foolish move - Soul could take her back easily, and Agni would be powerful enough to pull this plan off. However, this worked the other way as well - Rudra would be able to thwart them if she tried. And the thing that link the two powerful groups was just that - they kept on trying. And if they tried hard enough, they typically succeeded.

But they would be ready this time.

Agni maintained that she hated planes - but she hated traveling on boats even more. They took a tiny little boat from somewhere in California down to Hawaii, where they continued on through dense forests only to come upon a very oddly placed door. Mosquito was the one who opened the door, a few bugs skittering away from the sunlight. They proceeded inside, the lights flickering dimly against the walls.

The halls were barely big enough for them to walk single file - some hallways seemed even more narrow, but there was an overwhelming amount of heat the further they walked. Everyone was beginning to feel perspiration on their brow, but Agni was completely unmarred by a single bead of sweat.

There was a large room coming up, a faint glow coming from the bend at the end of the hall. Rounding the corner they were staring into a large room with a conference table, seating at least 20. The most eye-catching part of the room was the giant window that spanned two walls, showing the inside of a magma chamber under a dormant volcano.

This is where the final point in their plan would come to fruition.


	24. PAST THE INFINITE DARKNESS

PAST THE INFINITE DARKNESS

3 months 3 weeks after Asura

* * *

><p>"Why would you suggest such a flawed plan in the first place? Kid and Black*Star work well together, but without Maka they'll begin to bicker. And here, Kim can't fight close-quarters; so a battle in the forest wouldn't work out." Rudra sighed angrily before crumpling up her paper again. She threw it hard at the wall, and it bounced off and into a full trash can.<p>

She had been meeting with Tsubaki for over a week now; she would come late at night, slip past the guards, and they would draw plans under the light of the moon. Rudra had decided to fight Soul and Agni - but Tsubaki was the only one who knew. This is why she had needed the weapon's trust again; she knew that Tsubaki was much more tactically advanced than she.

The initial plan was for Rudra and Black*Star to fight Soul and Agni. Tsubaki quickly reminded her that they had allies; powerful ones. Justin Law, Giriko, and Mosquito would definitely be there. Not to mention the possibility of Eruka and Free also being allies - Rudra had admitted to not knowing many details, as she had kept her distance from them.

This was proving to be more of a task than she had assumed. Tsubaki had shot down every single plan and theory that Rudra had to offer. There had been some hope at the start; aside from Tsubaki's snark and Rudra's inability to understand how group resonance worked, they had made a bit of progress.

Ox, Kim, Kilik, and Crona would make up the initial wave. Black*Star and Kid would make up a secondary wave. Who they would engage and where they would meet up later wasn't even up for discussion yet; they had to decide when everyone would leave. This had to be timed right, or else they would be overwhelmed.

Crona was the only one capable of fighting Agni, as their weapon was made from the same hardened material as she was. However, Soul would be able to manipulate their madness if they spent too long around him. Black*Star would come to back them up with both weapons. Her only real concern was that if she wasn't strong enough to resist Soul, Black*Star and Tsubaki would definitely be killed this time. Breaking from him had been hard the first time, and this time her sister wouldn't be duped so easily.

"What's your connection to Soul right now?" Rudra leaned back in her chair and looked up; she tried to connect to him, but there was nothing but a dull static sound on the other end. After she had begged and wept at Tsubaki's feet, the meister had grudgingly taken her into her arms and assured her that it would be alright, in time, if she worked hard and _never lied again_. If it wasn't Tsubaki, she would have lied through her teeth.

"I can't hear him. But between us, I don't think I could take him on alone. Like, there's this strange sensation I get when I'm close to him; it feels like he's pulling me down, and I can't fight it. But if you and Black*Star are there, I think I could pull through."

"That's another thing we need to be clear on; have you been training with him on resonance and not taking over his soul?" She blanched and looked away, confirming what Tsubaki already knew. Rudra hadn't approached Black*Star about training yet, and she was already betting on great compatibility.

Tsubaki knew her meister would figure out how to wield Rudra, but not without practice. She was deadlier than the enchanted sword and much more powerful. He had wielded her once - but Rudra had gone over the details of that fight and she knew the truth was, that if he held on one second longer, he would have been a husk of skin with no soul.

And her meister was the type to not let go.

It crossed her mind again that she was still angry with Rudra; after all, three of her friends had been injured by her direct or indirect choices. But the guilt, the actual evidence of remorse and attempts to change the way she was going made Tsubaki believe in her again.

"Tomorrow, I'll talk with him." Tsubaki stood from her seat and headed towards the door. She paused before turning to look back at Rudra, who had laid down on her bed. They made eye contact and they stared at each other for a long while.

"I'm still angry with you, Rudy." In the dimly lit cell, she could barely make out the smile the other weapon threw her way.

"Yeah, but you're still calling me Rudy."

* * *

><p>((one week later))<p>

It felt like his hand was holding her heart, and he was squeezing. She struggled to escape his grasp and she fell from his hand; Black*Star gripped his arm, which was affected by the constant rejection of his weapon. Little black cracks appeared in his skin before beginning to bleed; he sat down on the ground due to the swimming in his head.

She couldn't grasp soul resonance; it seemed almost as though she didn't have a soul wavelength. More than anything, she felt like raw energy - like a force of nature, he thought ironically. Rudra was also resisting being taken over; one wrong step in this process and one of them would die instantly. He could crush her and she could drain him of life.

He put both of his hands on his head and messed up his own hair, letting out a frustrated groan that there was now blood all over him. He was starting to lose some of his hubris; she was holding them both back and there was nothing he could do to fix this.

"Why can't you sync up with my wavelength?"

"Why can't _you _sync up with _mine_?" She hissed back. His eyes narrowed, beginning to get equally as irritated. She had been the one to ask him for help - he was sure he could take on Soul, no problem, but she was there nagging him every step of the way, as if this were his fault.

He was trying to find her wavelength, but she always shied away when he got close to it. She was too scared of dying to make any progress. Rudra walked over to him and held out her hand again; Black*Star waved her off, deciding he wanted to take a break. His strength was drained, and so was his patience. He stood up and stretched a few times.

"We can't stop now-"

"Unless you're gonna stop this bullshit, then yeah, we can." She shot him a dirty look, his tone full of venom. He was tired of her giving him so much grief. She had been doing this since he had first wielded her - it was like she was too scared.

"What are you getting at, Black*Star?"

"You told Tsubaki that you went against Asura cause he was a coward - well it seems like you're the coward now. I can almost understand, since I'm such a big star - you're too intimidated by my awesome presence to be able to do anything right." She clenched her jaw and balled her fists.

He was completely right and they both knew it - she was terrified to push anything, because humans broke easier than kishins. He turned away from her and started walking, only to be stopped by her grabbing his shoulder. He turned around, wondering what she wanted to say. Her eyes were fierce and she was holding out her hand. They were going to try again, and even if he killed her, she would stop being a coward today.

His hand gripped hers and she transformed, heavy and cool in his palm before the awful pain began to creep up his arm. He began to look for her wavelength, only to hear a quiet hum come from her soul. She was trying to match him, but her wavelength was much too quiet for him to fully grasp.

It was like a bomb dropped and he was caught in the immediate vicinity. The pressure that was unleashed and the loud wail of her soul was staggering, and he was almost swallowed up. It didn't receed - it barely did anything but intensify - but he could _finally _hear her. He heard anguish, he could hardly hear himself; but he could be louder. She wouldn't beat him, she was counting on him to stand up to her.

After several moments of battling for dominance, it grew very quiet. The silence was overwhelming, and he wondered if he had accidentally killed her.

"Black*Star? How does everything look to you? Normal? I'm trying to move your body, but it's not working." He looked down at the hilt of the blade, where the mouth of her soul deepened its grimace. He could feel it as though they were his own feelings - she was absolutely terrified that her gamble hadn't payed off. That she had overestimated someone once again.

He lifted her up, proceeded to cut the air, and he cleared the area of all life in front of him.

She hopped out of his hands and gave him a very strange look. She looked panicked; but he knew it was because of the sudden power she had exhuded. Another thing he noticed was the way her brow was pinched. Rudra was absolutely perplexed as to how they had summoned up that power - Agni wasn't here to boost her abilities, and he wasn't a kishin.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The only way they could have gotten that kind of power is if they had resonated - even if only for a few moments, they matched wavelengths and neither of them died. He looked pleased with himself as well, and she reached out again to take his hand. They had to be perfect at this. They couldn't mess this up. She reached out and took his hand again, transforming again.

"Just be careful as to where you point me next time."


	25. FOILED

FOILED

4 months after Asura

* * *

><p>"With Rudy's knowledge of the enemy, and my knowledge of our EAT students, we've come up with a plan to take on the newly revived kishin."<p>

"Hm? The kishin? A plan?" Lord Death cocked his head to the side, his mask expressionless. Rudra was vaguely unnerved by not only the fact that he was dodging the subject, but he hadn't balked at the idea immediatly. He seemed to be genuinely considering the idea.

Lord Death was in a real pinch here; their enemy had conspired with a student to take other students to battle an entire organization. This organization happened to be headed by Mosquito, Giriko, and Justin Law - all who were rather formidable foes. Then there was the pressing matter of the kishin, Soul, and his weapon, Agni. He was still able to transform himself, he was able to amplify her powers, and she controlled all things fire.

"If you look at these maps of the area, Rudy said that their base would be somewhere around this magma chamber - presumably to make use of Agni's powers. If we were to send in two teams, I know we could come back victorious."

Tsubaki handed him a folded paper, which he quickly discovered was a map with multiple markings. It was color coded, all to scale.

"If Ox, Kim, Kilik, and Crona go down there first, Kid and Black*Star can leave shortly after, to divert attention. Since Ox, Kim, and Kilik are able to group resonate, they would be best suited to take on Mosquito and Giriko. Crona will be able to keep Soul and Agni occupied, as Ragnarok is the only other weapon made with black blood. Black*Star, Rudy, and I will meet up with them to finish Soul, while the earlier team proceeds to sweep the area."

He read each name, and the corresponding spot that they would engage their targets. But they weren't accounting for Justin Law, or even the grunts of the organization. They needed more people - but there were few to spare. Rudra explained that while Stein and Marie would be excellent back up, Stein was weak against a trio of madness-making machines, and Marie could only do so much for him.

The meister would have to remain here, as a fail safe. Lord Death couldn't leave his city - the kishin blood that ran through Soul remembered that the reaper had a means to travel, and he had run as far away as possible. Spirit was occupied with Maka falling into disrepair. Azusa had returned to her division. One of his strongest weapons had betrayed him; Justin Law's only match would be Stein and Spirit, or Lord Death himself.

Another thing occurred to him - if Rudra came in contact with Soul, wouldn't she turn on her friends because of the madness? The pull of her meister, her true meister, was mentioned in the legends; she could only fight it for so long before her mind was shrouded in madness.

"We don't seem to have a lot of options here," he drawled, his large hands stroking a chin that wasn't there. He was trying to think of some other way - one that didn't involve sending children to fight the battle he seemed to keep leaving unfinished.

"Ya, okay, send word to the meisters and their weapons. We'll ship them out in two weeks; a day between departures. Sound good?" Tsubaki seemed to think about it, Rudra watching her intently. It seemed as though she had settled back in, despite her initial betrayal. The weapon nodded, accepting the terms - even if Agni was with Soul and they were surrounded by magma, she wasn't strong enough yet to disturb the Earth's core. Lord Death made a strange noise, like he wanted to say something. Tsubaki and Rudra brought their attention back to him, waiting patiently for the rest of his directions.

"But the thing is, Rudra, you can't go."

* * *

><p>(two weeks later)<p>

Crona felt apprehensive - maybe that wasn't a strong enough word for what they were feeling. They were supposed to fight Soul and Agni by themselves? Soul had become almost as close to them as Maka was, or Rudra had been. Not to mention, Agni was so strong and they couldn't imagine trying to fight her. Fighting girls was still kind of strange.

Jackie snapped in front of Crona's face, making them blink before focusing back on the present. Their boat -which Crona was very, _very _displeased about- was starting to slow down and float towards the dock. After securing it, they were quick to get off under the cover of night. It was _humid _- as if air had taken on the thickness of a cream soup. Ox already had a nosebleed from it, and there were two pieces of toilet paper shoved up his nose. Harvar was trailing close behind, keeping a wary eye out for an ambush.

Kilik was herding his Pots through a thick underbrush, when Kim tripped and fell face-first. Surprisingly, she didn't eat dirt - Ragnarok had managed to grab her hand, only to drop her inches from the ground. She shot the weapon a nasty look, but it was only returned with a loud, wet raspberry.

She harrumphed and stood up, with Kilik's help -which Ox was quietly stewing over- and headed for Jackie's side. Crona frowned, directing their displeasure at Ragnarok. The trek to the center of the island was slow due to the density of the flora, and the moonless night. Tensions began to run higher the longer they travelled - Ragnarok would hold branches for people, only to release them at an opportune time and hit someone in the face. Or perhaps when Ox discovered a leech on his inner thigh and proceeded to cry while Fire had to burn it off.

They were all sweating by now - Crona was uncomfortable in their black attire, and the added weight of Ragnarok hitting their head wasn't helping much. They were starting to get lost in the rhythmic beating of their weapon, when Jackie cried out suddenly. Their attention was on her - she had fallen and was clutching at her knee. She had tried going over a fallen log, but a vine caught her leg and made her land oddly.

"I think it's twisted," she muttered in irritation; Kim was trying to tend to her, while the others gathered around her. She wouldn't be moving anytime soon.

Ragnarok felt under-appreciated right about now - no one else heard Giriko's chainsaw blade start, but they were the first one to react. They managed to block it before transforming into Crona's hand - Giriko returned to plant his foot in their stomach, making them skid away on the ground. They landed near Jackie and Kim; Ox and Kilik were standing in front of them now, their weapons held defensively.

"Crona, you gotta get outta here."

"Yeah, you're the only one who can fight the kishin; let us handle this guy. Ox, you too; get Jackie and Kim outta here, somewhere safe." The other meister whipped his head to face his friend; Kilik gave him a thumbs up before catching Giriko's next attack. He jumped into the darkness of the woods, and a few moments later, they felt the ground shake. Ox stood still for a while, Harvar propped against his shoulder. He turned to Kim, opening his mouth to say something, when he pointed his weapon at the darkness and shot a bolt of lightning.

A large group of Arachnophobia agents scattered into the trees. He chuckled lowly as Kim got up and they stood back to back. Jackie may have been injured, but as long as they didn't encounter Agni, she couldn't be damaged anymore in weapon form.

She was in her meister's hand and sooty smoke began to rise from her maw. Kim poised her for an attack before turning to Crona and smiling.

"Go, get Soul back." They could only make out the bright flashes of their attacks in the dark, and knew they were useless here. They wanted to stay - wanted to help their friends. The people who had accepted them were now telling them to leave them to handle things. They smiled in spite of themselves.

They had to go save their friend.


	26. CRONA, INTERRUPTED

CRONA, INTERRUPTED

4 months, 2 weeks after asura

* * *

><p>"I shoulda known he was gonna say something like that... I mean, do you think they can handle it?" Stein clipped the collar around her neck after pushing past the sharp, long strands of hair that adorned her. She was giving him a curious look - she was concerned, but her motivations were still unclear to him. He blew out a puff of smoke, she wrinkled her nose and tried to blow it away.<p>

"I don't think they can do it. It's a gamble, on Lord Death's part - to buy time. He needs to come up with a better plan, and he could use all of his death scythes right now. If the students fail, then the world will definitely be cloaked in madness by the end of tomorrow, at least." Her body shouldn't have gone so cold - she knew that this plan was good. Arachne had come up with it herself.

He was leading her down a flight of stairs, taking her to her room until they could find further use for her. She had been told she would compromise the mission if she was close to her sister and Soul. Agni and her shared a mindscape when resonated with a meister, regardless of if they were resonating with the same person; she could easily persuade her sister back to her side, turning the tides of their victory from unlikely to absolutely impossible.

Still, Stein found it curious that Lord Death was keeping their strongest ally from taking on their strongest foe - perhaps it had something to do with why he was not sent. Strangely, no adults had been included in the plans. The EAT students were flying solo on this one, and there was no reason that they couldn't spare a more talented meisters and their weapons. It would almost seem as though these students were merely to test the strength of the pair.

Stein's cigarette fell out of his mouth, but he covered it by not pausing his stride. Rudra's gaze was downcast, and she seemed to be thinking. But he had made up his mind, and before she could register the warmth of the sun on her skin, she felt Stein take off her collar. The wind chopped off her long hair, and she turned to look at him with confusion.

"There's something wrong with this whole situation. The absence of high-ranking meisters-"

"I don't believe in trusting others, Stein. You should know that by now. For all I know, everyone's already dead. But I know Black*Star, and I trust that they're all strong enough to handle this - but he is no match for my sister. I'm not even sure if I'm up to it - and that's why the adults are staying here. If we all bite it, then you'll have to take them down." He had been there when they discussed the plans - and it hadn't occurred to him then that this was her goal the entire time. Rudra had known Lord Death wouldn't let her go - it was too risky on his part. She had to have someone else do it; but he hadn't been sure of what she would do once she was free.

"What will happen to Maka?" Rudra grinned at him, and he felt himself try to smile back. He lit another cigarette and she waited for him to say something else. He seemed to be troubled by the lack of her answer. Her grin waned, but turned into a confident smirk.

"You know those two would never hold it together without her."

Stein watched as she descended the stairs, the gears in his head turning. He needed to get someone else down there - a bunch of kids would need real back-up; not just her. He turned around and headed back inside of the academy, his thoughts set on finding another squad to fight when the kids couldn't anymore.

* * *

><p>They weren't sure how it happened, but Crona had gotten themselves a tad lost on their journey in the woods.<p>

Kilik had been engaged by Giriko, and lead him away from the group so they could escape. However, the group was then engaged by a large sum of Arachnophobia agents; the meisters instructed Crona to find Soul as soon as possible, and they've been wandering ever since then.

The sun had risen about an hour ago, and Crona was still sweating fiercely. The desert had been hot and dry - but this place was just moist. The air was heavy with droplets of water, and Crona felt them at work, soaking their clothes. It was quiet this early, a strange fog blanketing the island. Crona came to a sizeable opening in the trees, only to find their target waiting patiently for them.

Agni was different than the last time they had seen her; her face was gaunt and sharp, her hair literally an uncontained fire atop her head. She seemed wild, but still slightly restrained. She had always been cool and collected; but now it seemed as if she was on the brink of losing it.

"Why would they send you? Do they think the black blood is gonna save you?" Soul's voice was playful, but the skittering eyes pouring from his body made Crona remember that he was a kishin now, and Soul could easily crush them. Ragnarok formed silently in their hands, and Crona slid into an attack position. Soul smirked at them, cocky and slightly off, before holding out his hand. Agni gladly complied, transforming into a sword seething with fire.

The feeling she gave off was powerful and intimidating, and Crona took a step back. They couldn't do this. There was no way that they would be able to overpower either of them. They needed help.

The first thing that came to mind, very suddenly, was Maka.

They had hurt Maka. They hurt Black*Star, and they were willing to hurt everyone else for this goal. They gripped the handle of Ragnarok before bringing the sword close to their face.

"Ragnarok, scream resonance." The lips on the blade opened, a tongue rolling out; the weapon made a noise of approval before drawing in a breath. The clearing was silent, and Soul was waiting patiently for the duo to attack. The shriek that emanated from Ragnarok startled Agni - enough that she let out a horrible shriek of her own, making the pommel of the sword vibrate. Crona began to yell as well, and soon they were on the same pitch as Ragnarok. Agni let out a blast of fire that diminished in the sound wall.

They were stronger than she had anticipated, but not strong enough to scare her. She looked around the dark landscape that she went to while in weapon form, summoning up Soul's wavelength briefly. Crona watched on in horror; the kishin was standing there, head down, and a violent black fire swirling around him. Black, crack-like scars formed on his skin and crawled up his neck, and he slowly lifted his head.

"I can handle this by myself, Soul. Take a nap in there or something."

"Pst, Crona. Agni took over Soul's body - so now she's wielding herself... better watch out, she's a better meister than she is a weapon." Crona nodded in acknowledgement of their weapon's observation. This would be a tricky fight - but at least she wasn't as fast as Rudra.

Soul raised Agni and brought her down in an arc, a blast of magma heading for Crona; they rolled out of the way, only for her to pull it back while it was cooling. The meister was rammed into from behind by hot rocks; black blood crept down their skin, a few drops hitting the ground as they stood back up. Soul and Agni were there in an instant, a kick poised for Crona's neck stopped by a few bloody needles.

Soul was hit in his shoulder, but the black blood crusted up quickly. He made an irritated face before Crona let out a cry and charged them. Soul deflected the blow and kicked Crona in the chest, the meister taking a step back before engaging him again. Agni came down and struck the ground at their feet, allowing Crona to step back and prepare their next attack. Gathering up their energy, they hurled a Scream Alpha attack at them. Soul's arm was severed and his grin turned upside down, his eyes glinting in displeasure.

"I'm not overly concerned... See, unlike you, Crona, I wasn't made with a half-assed formula. I was chosen, and I was given real black blood. I'm undefeatable, a weakling like you will never take me down!"

Soul's new arm burst from his shoulder, and he wiggled his fingers to get the nerves and muscles all in place. He tossed Agni between both hands before throwing her at Crona; she scorched the meister and cut their leg, but Ragnarok had managed to push Crona out of the way just before she struck. Soul's scythe blade shot from his right arm and he slashed at Crona, who then barely dodged the piano wire - it struck Ragnarok, who cried out angrily.

They exchanged brief blows before Crona pushed them back. They let out a few harsh breaths before taking a few steps back, allowing for Soul and Agni regroup quickly. Soul's entire demeanor changed; the purple eyes of Agni grew wide and hopeful.

"Crona!" Rudra burst through the trees, into the clearing. Crona headed towards her, relieved that their backup had finally arrived. Her expression shifted from relief to shock, but Crona's confusion was short-lived; Agni protruded from their front, Soul still pushing the blade through their back. The black blood began to harden, but then something strange happened.

Agni ignited, and Crona began to scream as they were burned from the inside out. Black blood dripped down their body, pooling on the ground. Soon Ragnarok began to shrink in their meister's hand, and Rudra fully understood what was going on. She started running towards them, mortified that they had come up with such a brutal tactic.

"Heh, we shoulda killed you..." Ragnarok's last words rang in her head as she watched them disappear. After a few more moments, blood stopped dripping from Crona's body. Agni extinguished and Soul discarded the meister. Rudra's eyes were wide with absolute shock and raw fear; Crona was dead, and her sister had killed them.


	27. MADNESS vs MADNESS

MADNESS VS MADNESS

4 months, 2 weeks after Asura

* * *

><p>It all made sense after Rudra explained things to her.<p>

When the weapon had come to her asking forgiveness, she told Maka everything. From the beginning, they had come to Death City for the sole purpose of turning Maka into a kishin. They eventually teamed up with Justin Law, who had hidden his descent into madness, and Mosquito. After Maka had lost her grip on sanity, they set their sights on Soul when they realized her soul type wasn't compatible.

Rudra had apologized profusely for her actions and her misguided nature.

Maka wasn't alright with how things had ended up, and that certainly didn't mean that she was going to become complacent in this maddened state. No, instead Maka had delved deep inside of herself, twisting the madness in a way that could benefit her. She would fight every person she thought she saw, and she had learned most of their moves.

She often saw Soul, and as such, they fought every time. She was ruthless against him, because it was only an illusion. She had beaten him with books once, and another time she had kicked him so hard he turned into Spirit. But one thing nagged her; would she be able to fight him when it came down to it?

That was one thing she couldn't get over; Soul being enemy number one. Rudra told her that he had eaten a human soul, but she refused to entertain the thought of it. He wasn't that kind of person. Soul would always be there for her, he was the one person she could safely rely on. He wouldn't hurt another person unless he had a reason to.

Maybe that's why Rudra showed up to free her from the dungeon; Maka had lost Soul, and Rudra had lost Agni. In different ways, they felt the same pains. She wasn't sure at first, if the weapon was real - but there was a static-y quality to real life people. It was just her mind that stitched madness into the seams of her eyes.

"Maka, it's time. I need your help now, we have to go back up the others." Rudra held out her hand and Maka hesitantly took it; when her skin touched Rudra's, the noise subsided. The crawling eyes vanished, the gnawing at the back of her head was numbed. Her thoughts slowly started filling her head, and she looked around with fresh eyes. The air felt light around her, and the ground was sturdy beneath her feet. Reality felt like a dream now.

Rudra felt a surge of power rush through her when she took Maka's hand; _this _is what it should have felt like when she resonated with Soul. In fact, she hadn't felt this strong in almost 800 years. Parts of her felt stronger than they ever had before. A smile made its way to her face. She felt daring.

"Hey, Maka. Think we could do a little teleportation?"

"Wha? There's no way a weapon could do that. Death scythes can't even do that."

"I used to be able to do it, back then. I think I could muster up the power for it, but only if you're game."

"We don't have time to waste. If it gets us there faster, then do it." Rudra nodded at Maka, admiring her leadership; when this was all over, she might consider switching from Black*Star to Maka as her new meister. She took Maka's other hand and they both closed their eyes, trying to find each other's wavelengths. Since Maka had a much smaller soul, it was easier for her to sync up with Rudra's bound soul. The weapon knew that she probably wouldn't survive the amount of power that came with her unbound wavelength.

She pictured it clearly in her mind; the island base she had seen pictures of, on a map. A heavy wind set over them, and they disappeared from Maka's cell.

* * *

><p>They fell a few feet from the ground; Maka landed on her feet, and Rudra landed on her ass. The weapon stood up and brushed herself off, and they looked around - they were in the middle of the woods; it smelled like sulfur, it was hot, and it was wet out. Maka felt very drained, Rudra feeling winded as well. It had been so long since she had used that skill, she was surprised it worked at all.<p>

"I can't believe it didn't work. Actually, yes, I can!" Maka yelled angrily, smacking a branch out of her way as they trekked through the foliage. Said branch then proceeded to hit Rudra in the face. The weapon grimaced, irritated with Maka's shrieking.

"We're on the right island. And be quiet, or they'll hear us and we'll lose the element of surprise." The wind blade cut away a few branches as they continued towards the interior of the island.

"I'm afraid you already have." Rudra's face contorted with rage; she hated this guy more than any of her prior allies. Justin Law, the former death scythe, had chosen to reveal himself. She was well aware that he was probably more powerful than Maka, and there was also a good chance he could take her on as well. Out of everyone, she had hoped to encounter anyone but him. He was good at combat, and since he had no meister to rely on, it made it easier for him to form strategies and execute them. His appearance meant that they would have to engage him, and-

"Let me take him. You go find Crona." Maka's eyes were narrowed and her mouth a thin line; she was emitting pure anger. Justin had been her mentor. He was the one who came up with the plan in the first place - and he set Soul up to be the one to do it. He had cursed her with madness, and then he took Soul. He had hurt her more than Agni and Rudra ever did. He made a complete fool out of her.

Rudra had half a mind to argue; this guy was a death scythe, after all. He was probably much more powerful than he let on, but Maka was making her nervous. Even if she said no, she wouldn't back down from this.

"I don't know what'll happen to you if our resonance breaks. You could go mad again."

"Fine, so I'll come find you when we're done here." Justin Law was beginning to approach them, a blade protruding from one of his arms. Maka forced blades to come out of her back and forearms, and she saw the madness-soaked grin he had plastered on his face. So, they would both be out of their minds for this fight? Even better. Rudra's hand was gone, and the cold air soon turned into a searing pain that crept up her veins and through her body. She opened her mouth in a silent scream, and Justin aimed a swipe at her throat.

Her arm came up to parry his attack, her face shadowed by her loose hair. Her shoulders began to shake and she lifted her head, revealing a similar grin to his own.

Maka leapt at him, blades shooting from her elbows as she brought them down on him, though he blocked with his own blade. He pushed her back hard, and her deft hands wrapped around a tree branch. She swung around and let go, launching her transformed foot at his face. It hit a moment too soon, her boot hitting his lip. He bent his neck and allowed her to transform over his head, while his arms circled her torso and threw her violently into the ground.

She coughed and he was on her in an instant, punching her in the stomach and in the face. Maka gained her bearings back after a minute and swung her legs up, kicking him in the head. She rolled away from him and hopped back up, wiping the black blood away from her forehead. They were both still grinning at each other, and they were both beginning to circle one another. His earbuds were still in, and Maka could hear the music coming from them. She wondered how he could focus like that.

She lashed out at him, her blade licking his left shoulder as he dodged. He got in close and used his Silver Gun technique, nearly cutting her in half. She brought her elbow down on his head, and he watched as black blood stitched her wound shut. He was pierced a few times by the bloody needles she summoned, but he jumped back to regroup.

They were both swimming in their own madness, unsure of how the fight was actually going; Maka's blades only came out half the time, and Justin's accuracy and mercilessness were suffering from his time spent around Soul and Agni. He wasn't even sure if he was still fighting Maka anymore.

He noticed her eyes dart somewhere to the left, and took this moment to swoop in; two blades came from his arms and he struck her once, then twice; his signature Saint Cross Knife. Maka took the brunt of the attack, screaming from the pain. The black blood could only protect her from so much. He had taken out his headphones in anticipation for her scream, and sighed dreamily.

"What a wonderful sound. I relish the chance to hear _real _music."

Maka's screams turned to laughter, and her body began flopping against the ground like a fish. She jumped up quickly and brought her cupped hand to his ear harshly; he was knocked onto the ground and he couldn't find his balance. She was on him in an instant, scratching and hitting his face while laughing still.

"Why did you do it!" She said between gasps for breath; there were tears coming down her face, but she was still smiling, still laughing as she beat him. He gained his senses back after fighting the nausea, and with a hard punch in the side, he broke two of her ribs. She rolled off of him and he scrambled to get away; his face hurt, and his nose was broken.

But her question was amusing; her desperation was even better. He chuckled deeply, which soon turned to a roar. She was still on the ground, clutching her side painfully. He looked down at her and she got to her feet quickly, anticipating his attack. She blocked it with her blades, but he wasn't letting up.

"Why did I do it? Why did I destroy your lives? Because the world needed a revolution that only chaos could bring." Her leg shot up and kicked him in the chin, but that did nothing to ease the pressure. Without an option, Maka headbutted Justin with enough ferocity to draw blood and to make him draw back. This had to end soon. Maka felt like this battle had lasted hours; all concept of time was lost on her now. But his answer made her feel a deep anger rise to the surface of her soul and it bubbled over; Maka let out a snarl and began to relentlessly bring her blades down on him. He blocked the barrage, wondering what she planned to accomplish by mindlessly bearing down on him. Her stamina wasn't that high, her soul wasn't as big as his.

She was angry that he had the choice of ruining her life, and that he had chosen it. He had warped Soul into a kishin, and he was going to destroy the world. Her arms transformed from blades to fists and she brought one down on his head, taking him by surprise. He punched her in her hip, hurting his knuckles. She drew back once more.

Maka had killed Asura, and she wasn't this strong when she did it. She was strong; maybe not stronger than him, but if she put her mind to it, she would be able to defeat him. He didn't want to underestimate her; he had trained her, and he knew most of her moves. Even if they were sporadic, she still only knew one way to fight; with risk, and an over-dependence on luck.

In his analysis of her, Maka found an opening. She rammed her blade into his side, piercing the soft flesh under his rib cage. He grunted in pain, bringing his leg up to kick her. She ducked under the delayed movement and swept his feet out from under him. Thinking quickly, he transformed his leg into a neck shackle guard, and clipped it around her neck. He pulled her head down and he landed on her, possibly breaking her nose under weight. He jumped off of her and before she could get up, he kicked her in the stomach. He was sure he had agitated his earlier wound, because she made a choking noise.

Bloody needles rose to pierce him, but he swiftly dodged it; he had gotten used to her usage of them. He leaned down and pulled her up by her hair before letting go and punching her into the dirt. He stepped on the back of her head and ground her face into the Earth.

He looked down on her for a few moments, preparing to kill her with his Silver Gun, only for her to cut off his legs. He came crashing to the ground, his gun misfiring and cutting the trees behind her. How could he have not seen this coming? How had she taken him so off-guard? All of these questions ran through his head as his stumps hit the ground, crushing leaves and dirt into his exposed tissues. He screamed, and as he landed on his back, Maka delivered an axe-kick to his chest with a transformed leg. He was cut in half; his body disappeared and only a kishin egg was left behind.

That awful grin had imprinted itself in her mind; there was a dull sense of surprise, as she hadn't expected to defeat him. He was out of her league, in skill and power. He had been fighting longer, and he had come into great power long before she had. Perhaps it was the madness that wore at his mind, or maybe she really had caught him off-guard.

She fell back as well, staring at the red soul. What was she supposed to do now? The trees warped into a swamp, and Medusa was pacing in front of her and the soul. Maka considered trying to eat it; but there was no way she could open her mouth that wide. Her eyes flickered up to the witch that constantly pestered her mindscape, wondering why she had to appear at strange times like these.

Why was Medusa even in her mind? How could she go wherever she wanted to. Even when Maka was buried deep inside of her madness, Medusa still wriggled her way through to tease and poke at the meister.

"Well, what will you do with that soul?" Medusa stroked the soul with her foot, and Maka made a face of disgust at the lack of disrespect the witch showed for the dead. Then again, Medusa had never been respectful in life. She posed a good question; what _would _she do with it? She was a meister, but now that she had activated her weapon form, could she take in souls? And if she could, would it make her madness worse? If she gave it to Medusa, would the witch come back to life?

Maka slowly wrapped her arms around it and it absorbed into her. She could feel anger spread through her, and a little more madness. After a few minutes, the soul purified inside of her. She felt stronger than she did before. Is this what Soul felt like after eating a soul? Her chest and arms were warm and tingling from touching the soul.

Medusa laughed at Maka's reaction, and she squatted down in front of the meister. Her snake-like eyes peered into her own before narrowing a bit. While Medusa was little more than a memory, she could still feel enjoyment and she felt it the most when she tormented Maka with big questions.

"So, are you going to go meet up with Rudra?"

Medusa never recommended good ideas. She always had a way of suggesting things that made them seem okay - but Maka always knew that Medusa wasn't the person to listen to while she was compromised. If she met up with Rudra, she would have to fight Soul. Could she do to Soul what she did to Justin?

He would want her to save him. To kill the kishin in him, to destroy something that threatened the entire world. He would do the same for her. But something made her soul squirm inside of her flesh. The thought of ripping Soul in half was absolutely gut-wrenching. She could never fathom bringing him true pain.

She recalled their fight with Crona, what seemed like so long ago. She had been broken up over that for weeks; he was hurting because she wasn't strong enough. This feeling was familiar. That disappointing feeling wormed its way into her chest, and she wanted to cry. Maka wasn't strong enough to kill Soul. She wasn't strong enough to go and help her friends.

She would just quietly disappear and live the rest of her days in madness.


	28. GIRIKO vs TEAM ONE

resbang 28: giriko and team A

4 months 2 weeks after asura

It was so quiet and still in this part of the forest, he could hear someone else's fight. Kilik wondered what his friends were getting into, if the plan had gone out the window; he was currently taking shelter in a tree, his weapons active. Giriko was lurking around somewhere down there, waiting for him to think he was safe. He shifted slightly on the branch, the bark scratching his exposed upper arm. He inhaled sharply and looked around, waiting for the attack.

They had been at it for hours; playing cat and mouse. Giriko would attack, then disappear. Sometimes he hit Kilik, and sometimes Kilik hit him. Neither of them were hurt badly enough to want to stop; and their pride wouldn't let them slither away from this fight. There was a deafening roar, the branch beside him being shredded. He heard Giriko's voice mixed in, but it was all he could do to dodge the attack - its destruction took out his former perch, and part of the trunk.

He was a powerful opponent who wielded his attacks without consequence. He sometimes even over-did it. Kilik landed on the ground and watched as Giriko briefly considered following suit; but instead the weapon finished destroying the tree before turning his attention back to him.

"So, this is the best the acadamy could muster? No back up, no one who is past the drinking age?" Giriko had been taunting him this whole time as well; Kilik now understood why only Justin Law chose to engage him. He was brash, vulgar, and had no tact - only someone as reserved and powerful as he would be able to take on someone like this.

Giriko was unpredictable, but in a very predictable way. The strength of his attacks varied wildly, and so did the consistency of them. He had been circling Kilik a good majority of the time, and now they were fighting in close-quarters. There were powerful, demolishing kicks that took out trees and cut flesh with ease. The occassional headbutt left his brains feeling scrambled, and his right hook -covered in chains or not- was a force of its own.

But, then again, Kilik was among the top students in close-quarters combat.

His right fist barely missed its target; it scorched Giriko's sleeve, burning the skin beneath it. He absently patted it out while aiming an uppercut punch for Kilik's chin. He shimmied out of the way and brought his fists up to block his face. He was in his element now. He jabbed at the weapon, taking body shots; they were blocked by chains wrapped aroung his torso.

Something hit Kilik then; something that, for some stupid reason, hadn't occurred to him before. Metal was a conductor, and this guy was covered in it.

He threw his weight into his left hook, striking the center of the chains. He focused his wavelength and Thunder responded, the electricity surging around the glove. It struck in the center, where the chains met. He felt the weapon shudder harshly, and he coughed out some blood. He slumped against Kilik's fist, and the meister tossed him aside.

The electricity in the attack did nothing but amplify Giriko's abilities. Kilik couldn't have known that.

Giriko reached up and grabbed Kilik's left hand and he wrapped his chains around Thunder. They began to rev, slowly chipping away at the weapon. While he was distracted, Kilik struck him on the head with Fire, burning his hair. Giriko's attack weakened, allowing Kilik to escape. Thunder transformed back, curled into a ball from the pain. They were bleeding, their stomach suffering the brunt of the attack.

Kilik peeled their hands away from the wound, seeing that it would need stitches, but it wouldn't be fatal. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against theirs, hoping that Giriko wasn't going to get back up.

"Hey, Thunder, you're gonna be alright. You gotta put pressure on it. Listen to me, I have to take this guy out. I'll be right back. Hide here, you're going to be fine." The weapon was silent, but the tears stopped and they shakily nodded their head. Kilik was scared - his weapon was hurt badly, and shaman or not, they were still kids and they didn't need this kind of pain. He hoped with all of his might that his words were true, and he almost believed them.

Giriko was stumbling away, trying to get the fog out of his head. That kid packed a mean punch, for being so young.

"You're name's Giriko, right?"

"Why does it matter what my name is, I'm your opponent."

"Because when I bury you, it would be nice to put something on the headstone." Kilik was throwing everything into this attack - if he didn't kill him now, he wasn't sure if he would make it out of this fight. One of his weapons was injured and probably in shock, and the other one was nervous for their sibling. This fight reaped a heavy toll on them, and he wouldn't allow this guy to take anything else.

"That's pretty confident coming from the guy who just lost one weapon. You really think you can beat _me_? Buddy, you may be able to throw some sick punches, but I have something detrimental to this fight that you simply lack." Kilik backhanded Giriko's face, but the weapon brought his knee up and into his gut.

"Oh yeah? What could that be?" He ground out before his opponent turned on his heel, extending the leg he already had up, and turned to bring his leg into Kilik's side. He cried out, but cut himself off by biting his lip. Something had to be broken.

"800 years of pure, unadulterated bloodlust and hatred." Giriko's voice came from behind him and he felt the air pressure change behind him. He waited for the pain of being cut in half to come, which it strangely never did. He slowly tilted his head to look behind him; Giriko grunted painfully before using his chains to cut the Earth; this allowed for him to retreat for a moment.

He turned around and saw why Giriko had been in pain - Ox turned his spear upright, fixing his glasses and giving him a smug look. Kim came from the trees behind him, wielding Jackie so the weapon wouldn't have to walk on a sprained ankle. He sighed and wiped his forehead; he had started panicking, he wasn't sure if he could have defeated him.

"You saved my ass, thanks."

"I know, it's kind of what we do." He stuck out his tongue at Kim, who returned the gesture -much more obscenely- before questioning them on the success of their battle. It had gone smoothly - there weren't nearly as many as the first time they had battle Arachnophobia, and they weren't as powerful. There were only two golems, but aside from that they had encountered litte resistence. Kim had mentioned running into Black*Star and Death the Kid - he felt relief; their backup had arrived, they could take a breather for a while.

A strange feeling crept up his back, and not a moment later, Ox hooked Harvar around his leg and he fell backwards; as he began cursing at his team mate, he saw his lightning attack zoom over him and strike Giriko, who had come from his hiding place to engage them again. He grinned when he realized he would be able to take out seven students all at once; he could really cut loose now. He stretched his neck and shook his head before turning up the power of his blades to three.

The ground was more than mangled; trees were flying through the air, uprooted as though they were discarded leaves. Kilik and Kim were working on rubble detail, while Ox began connecting to them for a Resonance Link. Kilik's earlier words had implied to both of them that this guy was stronger than a typical grunt - and if the strongest fighter on their team couldn't handle it, they would need to work together to take him down.

"Kim, Kilik, are you ready!" They didn't have time to answer, feeling the call of his soul for them to all connect. One the link was intiated, they felt power course through them. They felt nearly invincible, and Ox bravely charged forward to initiate the fight. Kim flew off on Jackie, hopping off every now and then to hurl fire at Giriko from the air. As Ox got his attention, Kilik took cover from Jackie's take off, hiding in the woods and waiting for an opening to catch him off guard.

He had underestimated this opponent. With a simple flick of his wrist, the the ground was decimated; it crept towards him, engulfing him in dust and rocks and he felt like he had taken 1000 body shots. He coughed, trying to get breath back in his lungs, only to realize that Giriko was hovering over him. The weapon began to beat Kilik into the ground, merciless and seemingly unstoppable.

To his surprise, he could hear the Pots whispering through their resonance link. They were talking about trying to wield each other; they were upset, their voices shaking as their pitches grew higher. It was strange to hear them.

Giriko paused. He took his chance, bringing up both fists and squishing his head between the Pots. He activated their dual attack, lightning rushing through Giriko's synapses and frying his nerves; the fire scortched some of his hair off, and he growled in anger. His eyes narrowed, and he felt his body get hot. He was absolutely seething; these kids had kicked his ass every chance they got. Kilik was struggling to get up, and as he went to kick the meister, Kim slammed Jackie into his head, knocking him out.

"Kilik, are you okay?" She put his arm over her shoulders, trying to help support him. He had been fighting Giriko for a lot longer than they had - and he just receieved a beating as well. He nodded and gave her a thumbs up; his cheesy smile absent for the fact that his face was starting to swell.

"Excuse me, you're the first group, right? I'm here to back you up." A man with white hair stepped from the shadows, a large case on his back filled with swords. It took them all a few minutes, but when they realized who it was, they relaxed. They had seen him at school, often with a little girl who bossed him around. He had joined them after their final encounter with Asura.

He took Kilik from Kim -which was _totally _unnecessary- and informed them of a small base of a few volunteers who had offered to care for the students. He also told them that there would be more people arriving shortly to back up the other team.

"Sorry, we didn't catch your name?"

"Sorry about that. I'm Mifune." He held a closed fist out and Kim put her hand under his; he dropped two pieces of candy in it before turning back around and heading west. She gave one to Ox and ate her own while following the samurai, only to scruntch up her face and spit it out in disgust. Ox was savoring the treat happily, and let out a content sigh.

"Ah, seaweed flavor."


	29. RESONANCE

PART ONE

4m/2w after Asura

* * *

><p>Rudra wasn't a stranger to carnage. The last time she roamed this world, it followed her like a plague. She had seen legions cut down - witches and humans alike.<p>

But it all left her now; all of the experience, all of the memories. She heard her sister's blade scrape against their spine before it was fully removed. Their body crumpled to the ground, blood staining their skin. She took a step forward, and that's when she noticed it.

The moment she took that step, power filled her. Shortly after, she could feel the cold grip of insanity. She was angry, she was upset, and she wanted revenge. Her sister had consciously made the choice to melt his weapon down inside of him; effectively killing the only other person that could stand against them.

Soul hadn't moved away from Crona's body, but as Rudra took another step, she could start to feel his soul reaching out for hers. She knew it was draining him to reach out to her while being controlled by Agni; his feet were shifting, and he began to retreat. Rudra used this to her advantage, running to Crona's body. Her hands were stained with the black blood -and she supposed it was also Ragnarok- as she lifted the meister into her arms.

She felt something tighten in the back of her throat, and her nose burned. If she remembered anything, she could recall what despair felt like - and this was it. Their skin was sickly white, and they were beginning to get cold.

Why did she think Crona would be a good candidate to fight the kishin? Why did she send someone else to their death? She could feel tears stinging at her eyes, but she pushed the feeling away.

Her hands were going numb, only for the black blood to stretch over her skin in a cracked pattern. It took all of her willpower to not throw Crona away from her in fear. The blood continued to climb across her skin, before it all faded away. She looked back to Crona, only to see that all of the blood surrounding them was now gone. She lifted the meister and carried them to the edge of the clearing.

Soul was only a few meters away, whispering something unintelligable. She watched her sister relinquish control, his eyes turning red again and the marks disappearing. There was a spark inside of her, and it quickly turned into a shooting pain going up her arm. She grunted in irritation and tried to find the source of her ire; her veins were showing, inky and black against her skin. After a few more moments in pain, a drop of blood came from her palm. Soon, a small fountain followed, and Ragnarok formed in her hand. She stared down at them incredulously, tears quickly coming back to her eyes.

"Idiot, don't cry, look out!" Her eyes snapped to Soul, whose piano wires were quickly coming towards her. Using Ragnarok she managed to deflect them all; she was at a disadvantage, however. They seemed to be unable to channel her element; but she'd be damned if that would stop her now.

She had the power of both the kishin and her sister now; she could do anything she wanted. If Black*Star was here and they were resonated, she would even be able to deprive them of air. She began to walk towards them, meeting a few feet apart in the middle. She rolled her shoulders and a faint wind began to blow through the area. Soul attacked her quickly, recognizing this as her gathering power. He disrupted her, but she was still much quicker than they were. She dropped to the ground and swept his feet out from under him, bringing Ragnarok down to his chest. He didn't even bother to bring Agni up to block it, simply allowing his piano wire to hault the weapon.

"Scream resonance!" The quiet island was filled with an awful screeching noise, making their ears ring; the pressure from the noise was deafening, and Rudra almost couldn't handle it. It dug Soul into the ground a few inches, but he managed to get his way out from under her. The air that had managed to gather around her chopped off one of the sharp ends of her hair and sent it towards Soul, who smacked it away like it was nothing.

"Hey, wanna see something cool? Follow my lead!" Ragnarok's wavelength pushed against hers, wanting to be let in. After a moment of debating, she decided they would be able to handle a full resonance. She let them in, feeling a strange sense of familiarity during resonance. Ragnarok's blade became coated in a strange, purple-ish glow. This must've been the lead they mentioned, and she took her chance. Soul swung Agni at her, and she took the hit. Her skin was cut from the blade and scorched, but Soul had been run through with Ragnarok.

The kishin kicked her in the stomach, dislodging the sword from him and getting some space between them. He laid a hand absently over the already healed wound as he watched her rise, almost no trace of her wound left. He chuckled and held his arms open.

"Rudra, why are you fighting me? Don't you see we're more powerful together? So why not come back to us?" She curled her lip at him in disgust and pointed Ragnarok at him, her eyes swirling with rage.

"I wouldn't join a coward!"

"What about your sister?" He almost didn't see her move; he blocked her attack that had been aimed for his neck, only for her wind to cut him instead. She had used her own blade this time; he must had hit a nerve. Soul smirked dangerously and propped Agni on his shoulder.

"You're going to leave your literal soul sister so you can be her enemy? That's gotta be hard!" Rudra's eyes narrowed in anger. She rarely gave in to petty taunts, but something him really rubbed her wrong. Maybe it was because all she could hear was Asura, but she saw her friend; Soul Eater, the idiot obsessed with being cool. He waved Agni in front of him, and his grin slowly widened as her watched her fall into a fury.

He actually didn't see her this time; he only felt every kick, every slice, and every punch. She used his own black blood against her, spiking him with bloody needles or bloody rain. Agni took control effortlessly and began the offensive against her little sister; she grabbed Ragnarok and pulled them from her hands before grabbing her throat, holding Rudra in the air.

"Is this what you want?"

"I seem to be... the only one... trying to stop you... from killing me..." Rudra rasped out, looking into her sister's purple eyes on Soul's face. There were black cracks coming up from his neck. Agni threw her sister across the clearing, and Rudra managed to right herself and land on her feet.

Agni disconnected from Soul and started to head towards her sister. Rudra allowed Ragnarok to receed back into her body and she mirrored her sister's steps. Soon they were brawling; Agni punched Rudra's eye and it began to swell, Rudra headbutted her sister so hard she bled. Soul couldn't believe what he was witnessing; two of the most powerful weapons beating each other like barbarians.

He took a step forward but their bloodlust stopped him; what were they trying to prove, anyway? They broke apart, panting and wiping the blood from their faces.

"Rudy, you can still join us. I'll forgive you."

"It took you 800 years the last time. I think I'll pass; but don't worry, I'll start thinking of how to accept your apology." They both transformed one arm, the other drawing energy from the surrounding elements; soon Agni's hair was ablaze, and Rudra's was down to her waist and consisted solely of solid, sharp ends. They weren't turning back now.

Agni initiated with an axe kick, but Rudra was long gone by the time it connected with the ground she once occupied. She was behind her sister, the air around her feeding the fire of her hair. She swept her arm and it almost connected with her sister's torso, only for Agni to backhand her sister. Rudra stumbled back and had to think of a quick distraction; inverting her wind was no problem, and soon Agni's flames went out.

It was still hilarious to see her bald.

Rudra howled and stomped on the ground, laughing at her sister's lack of hair. She soon became too distracted, as Agni had managed to heat the surface beneath her feet. Rudra hopped out of the way just as lava spewed forth; thinking fast, she focused her wind to the opened vent. The lava rapidly cooled down and sealed up the vent; Agni seemed a bit worn from pulling up so much magma from so far down.

"Mock me all you want, you know I'm stronger."

"Is that why you killed Crona?" Her sister's expression didn't change, but she knew from the way she shifted on her feet that she was uncomfortable talking about this. Agni hadn't wanted to be so brutal - but when you're under the influence of madness, sometimes you make some mistakes.

"I'm sorry-"

"'I'm sorry' sure as hell ain't gonna bring them back. Don't you even feel slightly remorseful? I mean, forget the fact that you betrayed all of your friends for some knock-off kishin and his posse of assholes. Pretend we didn't ruin Maka's life. You just killed someone we lived with, hung out with; we were _friends_! You don't even consider what you did as... I don't know, heinous?" Agni's face was completely blank, and her body was rigid. Rudra had made her point, and if her sister was still the person she believed in, then she would do the right thing.

Rudra attacked her sister, using the wind to throw off her attacks slightly; it eventually backfired, and Agni was able to overpower the wind and cut her sister's left arm deeply. The black blood flowed freely and she almost jumped away; instead she transformed it and resumed the fight.

Agni was always impressed by her sister's ability to adapt and use both hands for swordplay. They met again and she heated her blade, making her sister's warp slightly. Rudra withdrew in pain, her face contorted in agony. She almost enjoyed the look, until something clicked inside of her, and her eyes grew wide.

Soul snuck up behind Rudra, that same grin on his face. His hand grabbed hers, and she couldn't do anything to stop her transformation. He held her in his hand, and she was much heavier than he recalled. He beckoned Agni to join them, and soon he was holding his blades.

As he began to resonate with them, he found a problem with Rudra; she was fighting him every inch of the way, and just when he thought he overcame her, something would push him back. He tried to grab hold of it, to rip it from her, but it was rooted deeply.

"What the hell is this?" He yelled, frustrated. Rudra flew from his hands and landed a few feet away, panting harshly. There was a huge hole in her chest, dripping black and slowly scabbing up. Her eyes were fierce, her glare intimidating.

"It's my resolve. I've already got myself a meister, and he would never fall to you. I believe in him. And since I can believe in him, I can believe in myself to resist you!"

"Well said, my faithful follower! Your god has arrived, bow down to the great and mighty Black*Star!" He dropped in from the canopy, a small crater forming beneath his feet. He landed between Soul and Rudra, grinning and giving her a thumbs up. He took in her injuries; she would be alright, it seemed like nothing major was wrong.

But behind her, Crona caught his eye. Realization quickly struck him, and she could see his jaw flex and he clenched and unclenched his fists a few times. His eyes met hers, surprised to see such determination coming from her, and she held out her hand expectantly. He was always a bit startled by the noise of her soul when they resonated, but he overcame it every time.

Soul shouted in pain and the meister whipped around to see what the cause was; Agni had forcefully rejected their resonance and flew from his hands, into the depths of the forest. Rudra assured him that she wasn't the type to ambush, and that the fight might be a bit easier with just Soul.

Wind swirled around him, and he stared Soul down from the other side of the clearing before pointing Rudra at him menacingly.

"Soul, I'm gonna kick your ass."


	30. MOSQUITO vs TEAM TWO

MOSQUITO vs TEAM TWO

4m/2w after Asura

* * *

><p>Black*Star hated being saddled with Kid sometimes, if only for the fact that the reaper had a nasty tendency to slow them down. For instance, they missed their plane to the island because someone -who will not be named- needed to light their candles and melt them all the same amount. And when they actually managed to catch a plane, it only got them to California; thankfully, with their student ID's, they managed to hop a plane. It still took them six hours to even hit land, but at least they were here.<p>

They had no real clue where to head, but the rumbling and nasty sulfur smell told them that they should consider looking at the volcano. It had been their big plan; maybe they would run into someone on the way.

"Black*Star, slow down."

"Kid, we're already late backing them up! We gotta hurry, what will they do without having me there to guide and inspire them!" Tsubaki's form swirled to life in the blade of his kusarigama, and her expression was stern; and it was clearly telling him to listen to Kid.

The reaper took this moment to listen to his surroundings. The entire island was silent, except for faint sounds of fighting coming from the northeast. He hoped their forces were still alive; their intelligence had said that Arachnophobia's numbers had dwindled greatly, but they still had powerful opponents.

"Hello? Who's there?" Jackie and Kim popped out of a thicket before waving the meisters over. They sighed in relief; neither of them seemed to be in great distress, though Jackie's knee was twisted and Ox had a cut on his forehead. They dared to hope that the others were alright as well.

"Jackie, Kim, what's the situation?"

"Me and Ox got separated from Kilik, who lured Giriko away from us. We fought some grunts, and now we're trying to meet back up with him. I haven't seen Mosquito or Justin Law. Crona went to engage Soul a while ago, and we haven't heard anything since." Ox and Harvar came through the thick flora and they tiredly greeted the duo.

"Will you be alright to continue on alone?"

"You have to back up Crona; we can help Kilik, don't worry about us." Kid stared at Ox for a long time, who kept eye contact; his gaze was filled with determination, and he wouldn't back down. It comforted him a bit, because it made him think of Maka. He didn't know how he and Black*Star had made this this far without her, and if he was being honest, Black*Star felt just as weird as he did.

They bid the others farewell before beginning their trek once more; they heard the sounds of Kilik's fight draw to an abrupt end, only for them to resume once more. If he had to guess, Black*Star would say Ox and Kim had found Kilik. He thought about going back, but Kid tackled him to the ground before he got any further than thinking about it.

He looked around wildly, his eyes landing on a figure that had their back turned. Their hair was black and long, a top hat adorning their head. They were maybe 5'8, and they were wearing a crisp suit. When he turned around, they were shocked to see it was Mosquito. He laughed, deep and rich, before fixing them with a cocky glare.

"Impudent rats, this is what you get for standing against us! My form from 600 years ago!" His nose extended and stabbed Black*Star in the shoulder; the shock of Mosquito's new body was canceled out by the sudden shock of pain, and he managed to avoid a more serious wound. Tsubaki was worried about them; they had fought Mosquito before, but that was with Soul channeling their wavelengths while they group resonated.

Black*Star and Kid had tried to resonate without Maka, but their powerful wavelengths were completely unsyncable without a third party to link them. Now they had to face an ancient and powerful foe who was in the peak of his powers. Mosquito jumped into the air and activated his Police Stinger, circling above the canopy of the sparsely-wooded area before diving back down. Kid was shooting at him, but to no avail; he brought down his fists to shatter the Earth beneath the reaper's feet.

Kid managed to dodge, but Mosquito was faster; he smacked him out of midair and he hit Black*Star, sending both of them into a tree. Black*Star didn't even need to say anything; Tsubaki transformed into the enchanted sword. He rushed Mosquito, sending a shadow out to distract him before he landed a blow; his opponent grabbed Tsubaki with his bare hand, only for it to be pierced by the shadows. He released it and Black*Star spun around him, delivering a hit to the center of his back that was packed with his wavelength.

Mosquito grunted in displeasure, but was otherwise unaffected as he turned around and smacked Black*Star into the ground. He bounced up from the impact, and Mosquito beat him down; repeating the process again and again until the meister's blood stained his hand and the ground. He walked away from Black*Star, who was little more than a stain on the ground, to pursue Kid.

The reaper fired mercilessly at his opponent; Mosquito shrugged off the shots as he leisurely approached Kid.

"Why do you always insist on opposing us?" Mosquito grabbed Patti and threw her, before smacking Liz out of his other hand while the meister was still shocked. He grabbed Kid by the throat, staring into his golden eyes.

"Because... You're trying... To hurt people." Kid struggled against the tightening grip, feeling one of the nerves in his neck pop; his arm tingled before going numb. Thankfully, Mosquito discarded him - though he crashed into Black*Star, who was trying to stand back up. The two meisters were tangled together, Kid's head whipping around in search of his weapons. Mosquito was coming again; Tsubaki transformed into a kusarigama just in time for Black*Star to block the stinger pointed for his heart.

He pushed Mosquito back before launching at him; he began to perform his Trap Star, Tsubaki's chains wrapping around Mosquito tightly. He gave them a pull, aiming to kill Mosquito, only to realize he had escaped. He heard Liz and Patti sound off, hitting something that seemed to be close to him; he blindly rolled out of the way, Mosquito destroying the ground he had just occupied.

"Kid, what're you gonna do? None of our attacks seem to be working," Liz mumbled in vague irritation; Kid was very aware of the truth in her words. Black*Star seemed to be at the peak of his game, and he had been training recently as well; but here they were, struggling to keep up with an 800 year old vampire butler. His skin seemed too hard, and their attacks were too weak to even dent him-

_Except for that one._

He barely remembered the attack, but the strain it put on him was enough to make it real. When they had fought Asura, the kishin had apparently killed him; only for the Lines of Sanzu to activate and exponentially up his powers. It had damaged Asura greatly; enough for Maka to be able to destroy him later. If he could pull it off, then there was no doubt about it; Mosquito would fall before it.

The question he couldn't answer, however, was how could he activate such a power without being killed? He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't see Mosquito come up behind him; he wrapped his hands around the reaper's middle, lifting Kid into the air and squeezing. His fingers dug into the flesh, pushing the bones to their breaking point. They slowly began to snap, and after the second rib broke, he screamed.

Black*Star was there in an instant, shadows piercing Mosquito's neck and arm. The meister ripped Kid from his grasp before hopping away, leaving Mosquito trapped between the shadows and a tree.

"Black*Star, I have an idea but I need you to back me up."

"Yeah, right. In case you didn't notice, you're only here as _my _back up!" He said haughtily, posing and twirling Tsubaki around in his palm.

"I don't have time for this right now - just keep Mosquito busy while I prepare, and I'll... I'll come back you up." He had hesitated before deciding to allow Black*Star's ego to win this fight. They didn't need to waste time arguing; he didn't even know how to activate the Lines of Sanzu, but as long as Black*Star kept Mosquito busy, he would be alright.

He sat down in a meditative pose, his weapons held tightly in his hands. Kid drew in a deep breath, focusing on Liz and Patti's souls-

He didn't have the time to scream, but he had time to examine the severity of the wound. Mosquito had ripped a hole through his side; it was about a foot in diameter, almost touching the his navel. Mosquito laughed heartily somewhere behind him, and he was still staring down at his own insides when Patti and Black*Star started yelling at him. He fell to his knees, sweat forming on his forehead. His entire body was numb - he wasn't sure if it was from the pain, or if it was him dying.

Liz and Patti were still in his hands, their wavelengths erratic and terrified; or was that him? His back hit the ground and he bled there, trying to find Mosquito and Black*Star amidst the encroaching darkness. They were engaged only a few feet away, Black*Star wrapping his kusarigama chains around his extended stinger.

"Kid,_ get up_!" The reaper only closed his eyes, and Black*Star could swear he heard his heart stop. Mosquito retracted the stinger and instead kicked the meister in his side, landing him a few feet away from Kid. He looked at his friend's wound and reached out to try and punch him, to wake him back up-

The blast was so loud, he almost didn't hear it; but he felt every inch of it, digging Tsubaki into the ground so they wouldn't be blown away. The wound on his side was now cloaked in shadows, and his body began to rise in an unnatural way; Black*Star couldn't help but feel vaguely unnerved by Kid's sudden display of power as he and Tsubaki struggled to hold on to something, anything - Mosquito was approaching him rapidly, and without a thought he pushed off of the ground hard, hopping over the attack.

"Ya_hoo_! You just keep getting slower and slower old man!" Mosquito rolled his eyes before attacking the meister again, giving him little time between his stinger and his fists. Black*Star caught a glimpse behind Mosquito and watched Kid's wound finish healing, and his Lines of Sanzu connected. Liz and Patti transformed into two large, gold cannons; he recalled them from their battle with Asura. He parried Mosquito's stinger and rolled out of the way, running behind Kid as the cannons fired and their opponent was caught in the blast.

As the dust began to settle, they were almost surprised to see the only thing left of Mosquito was his top hat and a smudge on the ground. The Lines faded from his hair, the bottom one fully connected still. Kid felt weak, but the enemy was taken care of. Now they just had to go and help Crona-

His body went cold and an impending sense of doom filled him. Had he truly forgotten this important task? He fell to his knees, Liz questioning his sudden distress.

"I think I forgot to fold the toilet paper into a triangle...!" His hands were gripping his face and he took a fetal position, slamming his fist into the ground and crying out, almost painfully, that he couldn't remember and thus, was garbage. His weapons transformed back and tried to comfort their meister, only to find he was inconsolable.

Black*Star tapped his foot impatiently before huffing at Kid and turning his back.

"Let's go meet up with Crona, who cares about some toilet paper?" He glanced over his shoulder only to find a very neat paper crane resting there. He blinked in confusion before carefully unfolding it; Kid had left him a note saying he had to go home right at that instant to check on the toilet paper situation, and that he was sure Black*Star had this handled.

Man, he hated that guy sometimes.


	31. RESONANCE2

PART TWO

4m/2w after Asura

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><p>She had been wrong to think she could help them. Black*Star was straining against Rudra's taxing transformation; maybe the weapon was distracted by her sister's sudden disappearence, and couldn't resonate properly? She had to get it together. Her eyes drifted downwards to her friend who was laying peacefully in her lap. Crona was cold and white as a sheet. There was no pulse; they had been dead for a while. Tears poured from her eyes; this was real, Crona was gone.<p>

Her meister was fighting his best friend, who had become the kishin; he was using the kishin's very own blade against him, and one of their friends was dead. Things had spiraled out of control.

"Do you think that just because I don't have weapons that you can take me on? Come on, Black*Star, you can't be this stupid."

"Guess again, buddy! I'm going to defeat you! You can't even keep up with me, can you? Uh-uh, no way, you can't keep track of me!" He was using his speed star technique, Rudra's wind powers adding to his speed. Soul could hardly see him - but that didn't matter. Rudra's attacks were more irritating than Agni's, but they wouldn't kill him. Her wind powers cut him a little deeper than he had anticipated, but the wound sealed and he flicked the air in front of Black*Star.

The meister went flying, and Soul sent his piano wire to slow down their next assault. He leisurely approached, watching as they struck every wire that came close. They were fast, and they knew how to work together; but something seemed off about them. Almost like a slight delay in her actions, as though they couldn't communicate properly. He smirked and took advantage of this, slowing down the attacks and drawing their attention to him.

"So, what, is this it? You're all the academy sent? Wow, that's pretty weak."

"You should know better than anyone else that a couple of academy students can take down a kishin. Now, since I'm such a big guy, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. See, I got an edge on this battle because I've already surpassed god; and you're about to feel the force of a man more powerful than god. You should be honored." Soul barked out a laugh, slapping his knee and bending over. He was in stitches for minutes; Black*Star grew impatient and he used Rudra's wind power to throw an air blade in front of him. Soul smacked it away, and when Black*Star brought her down on him, he caught her blade between his palms.

"You're still the guy I remember, Black*Star; a total joke to everyone but himself." Soul pushed his wavelength into Rudra's blade and she cried out; this pain transferred to Black*Star, who was shot back a few feet. His grip on her had been tight enough to rip her from Soul's grasp. He wiped his chin of the blood he had spit up.

"Shut up and get ready to fight me!" To Soul's complete surprise, he threw Rudra at him and ran behind her. She used her wind power to keep the sword spinning, making it go at dangerous speeds; she whipped past him, too fast for him to reach out and grab. Black*Star was trying to fight him with his fists, but his piano wire made quick work of the assassin's attempts. Rudra swung back around and Black*Star caught her, a nasty smirk on his face. Her blade was across Soul's back, and he was pressed against Black*Star. He couldn't escape.

She used her own blood to coat her blade; it made it cut a little deeper into his flesh, close to his spine; but Soul had grabbed Black*Star's head and threw her meister into madness. Left with no other choice, she took control of his now vacant mind. It was startlingly loud now; filled with screams and harsh static. She shouted for Black*Star, but it only faded into the other noise.

She couldn't fight Soul and save him at the same time. That's when she remembered her back up; Tsubaki was only a few feet away.

"Tsubaki, I need you!" The weapon was in her hand, and she barely blocked the wire that came for her neck. It wasn't easy for her to resonate with two people at the same time, but she managed to find Tsubaki's sound among the din of Black*Star's madness. As she fought off Soul, she informed Tsubaki of why she had taken control of the meister.

"I need you to talk him through the madness while I fight Soul. I can't do both - I'd get us both killed. Find him, and I'll watch out for you." She jumped away from Soul, and took the time to have Tsubaki transform into a kusarigama; she wrapped the weapon around Black*Star's torso and barely had time to cut down more wires. She was quickly getting sick of his extra appendage; he seemed overly reliant on it.

She managed to evade each wire, and by the time she got close to Soul, Tsubaki had managed to get into her meister's soul. She hoped more than anything that this would work.

* * *

><p>Tsubaki found herself standing at the entrance of a large village, huts with spikes on them lining the dirt roads. The sky was black, and the air was stagnant and cold. She saw a form on the ground a few feet away from their home, and ran to their aid; only to find it was a mass of darkness that melted in her arms.<p>

But the blood was real. She was covered in it, and she screamed - where had it come from? Was she hurt? She quickly stood and backed away from the shape on the ground, which quickly turned into bustling eyes. They were watching her, squinting at her and trying to dissect her. She quickly grew unnerved and ventured further into the village, and the longer she walked, the more she began to notice a disgusting noise.

It was a few pitches above a fork scratching a plate - it made her ear drums vibrate, giving her a horrible headache. She saw more shapes, lying listlessly just outside of their homes. They were sprawled out similarly - as though they had been running outside for safety. Tsubaki hoped that she hadn't been taken by the madness as well; she didn't know how much more of this she could take.

The noise stopped, and static replaced it.

"Tsubaki, you're so close." She turned around to see Rudra standing a few feet away. Her hair was pulled back, similar to how Agni wore hers; she had armor on her right arm, and her scarf was wrapped around her waist. Tsubaki sighed in relief - she must have subdued Soul long enough to come and help her find Black*Star. She took a step towards her before stopping and really looking at her.

Her hair was as long as her sister's - and that was enough to make her question the reality she was seeing. Rudra hated long hair - it was itchy and a burden.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a figment of Black*Star's imagination - it's a coping mechanism for when I swallow someone's soul. Alternatively, I'm also an extention of the me that you know on the outside." Tsubaki quirked an eyebrow, but Rudra just walked passed her and beckoned Tsubaki to follow - they needed to go deeper.

"He's drowning in madness, somewhere in our shared mindscape. I can find him, but I can't pull him out - I can't save a soul from myself." Tsubaki opened her mouth and shouted, trying to get Rudra's attention. But the entire landscape changed - it was a bright meadow now, dotted with colorful wild flowers.

There was a log towards the middle, and that's where Black*Star was perched. He was waiting for her. He waved at her happily, excited to see his weapon. She took a step forward, only for Rudra to pull her back. Tsubaki looked at her questioningly, only for her to direct her attention to the grass. Upon closer inspection, she saw that each blade, every flower petal, everything had a face that was contorted in agony.

"This is a field of souls. This is the core of my soul - a compilation of other's best abilities. If you take a step, they'll pull you in, and you'll become a pretty flower inside of me."

"What about Black*Star?"

"I can't find his best ability. I've been stalling. He's stuck out there now - until I either absorb him, or he escapes." Tsubaki had a choice - allow herself to be absorbed so she could save him, or walk away. This is why Rudra had needed her - to make the hard calls, to do the things she couldn't. But this was asking too much.

Rudra knelt down in front of Tsubaki, her back to the weapon.

"If you get on my back, I could carry you to him." Without a second thought, she was on Rudra and she was walking through a giant minefield. Everywhere they stepped, a dense group of humans would rise from the ground and attempt to swallow them whole.

Tsubaki had never seen such speed - Black*Star was fast, and Kid was fast, but this girl was fast incarnite. There were no footprints behind her, only the receeding bodies of humans she had devoured. Something occurred to her then - what if Rudra was trying to kill her and Black*Star? Taking her somewhere she couldn't return without the weapon's help would be a great way to trap them.

But she kept true to her word, and deposited Tsubaki on the log beside her meister.

"You've got ten minutes. I can't stay any longer." Hands grabbed her face, arms, and legs, different limbs fighting to pull her down. Her body began to sink beneath the ground and she smiled up at the duo, despite the constant lacerations and hits she took from the soul's negative energy. Soon, the spot she had been standing in was covered in an innocent-looking grass.

She turned to look at Black*Star, who had seen the whole thing and was equally horrified by this place. But something in Tsubaki felt a bit more at ease - even in her own territory, where it would've been child's play to kill them both, Rudra had sacrificed her soul so Tsubaki could bring him back.

"How'd you get here?"

"I don't have a lot of time, Black*Star. But you know this place isn't real; it isn't safe here. You need to come back - Rudra needs your help. We all do."

* * *

><p>"So, tell me, why did you decide to join them?"<p>

"Soul, you ask way too many questions." His hands wrapped around Black*Star's throat and she struggled to pry them off. He laughed in his face, but it was all meant for her. She rocked back as best she could and headbutted Soul, and as he fell back, she pierced his stomach with her blade. He hadn't expected it, so the blade almost came out of his back; a small stream of black blood fell from his lips. His face was blank for an eerily long time, a silence falling upon the forest and Black*Star's mind.

Slowly, his lips curled into a grin so wicked that she actually cringed. His black blood wrapped around the blade slowly, and she realized her mistake. He could re-absorb her - how had she forgotten something so important? She struggled to pull the sword back, but it had already began falling apart. She felt part of her soul chip away and she choked back a scream. She was going to die here, and Black*Star would be next-

"When will I ever get peace and quiet around here? You're just as whiny as Crona, jeeze." Another, louder voice came forth from her mind. It took her a split second to remember that she had absorbed Ragnarok; it all made sense. She couldn't resonate with Black*Star because she had changed her soul. She was unable to use all of her power because she hadn't fully accepted this new addition to her.

"Ragnarok, mind lending me a hand?" He grumbled to himself for a moment, looking at his gloves in disinterest.

"Yeah, but perhaps I could be persuaded?" She felt another piece of her soul chip off, and this time she _did _scream.

The sword pulsated, and Soul was suddenly being ripped through by an additional foot of steel in his torso. Ragnarok had strengthened the blade, the combination of their black blood making it longer and more powerful. It took on his coloration, but instead of a white stripe down the center, it was sky blue. She tore the weapon from the kishin and smirked, flicking the blood from the blade.

"We can discuss payment later, as long as you don't make that disgusting noise again." Something in the air stirred, and it distracted her long enough for Soul to begin healing his wound. She turned her attention back at him in time to block his scythe blade; it was cold and it loomed ominously. He was as skilled solo as Justin Law was at this point.

But this told her that she had unnerved him. Ragnarok had been a game changer; and without the weapon, she would have died because of her foolishness. She needed to be more careful.

"Rudy, make some room in here!" Upon hearing her meister's voice, she relinquished control of his body. Tsubaki transformed back and returned to Crona, trying to keep out of the way. Black*Star admired his new weapon momentarily before jumping over one of Soul's low swipes. He spun in the air and kicked the kishin in the teeth, sending him flying into a tree.

"Let's resonate!" He noticed the sound of her soul had changed, almost a frequency he couldn't reach; but he wouldn't dare make her hold herself back for him. He strained to match it, but when he did, he realized what was causing the change. He heard Rudra's thoughts, but there was also a different voice - one he recognized to be Ragnarok. She must have absorbed him after Crona died - he made a note to ask her about it later.

"You can't win."

"You lost Agni. She was the entirety of your plans. And you still think this can work?"

"I thought you said I asked too many questions." He attacked Black*Star, who eloquently blocked and punched Soul in his face - only for his hand to be pierced by three wires. Soul then headbutted him, almost knocking him flat out. His vision was impared - he couldn't figure out where Soul had gone. He felt a knee to the gut, and if Rudra hadn't acted fast, he would have been cut in half.

"Hey, Black*Star. I think I have a plan. If you can get close enough, Soul will make a grab for me again; he's desperate. If he can dose me with his wavelength, I'll have enough power to take him out. Can you do it?" Black*Star climbed a boulder near the eastern side of the meadow and struck a pose. Soul stood back and watched for a few minutes, wondering what would come next.

"Who the hell do you think I am! The badass reputation of the great and mighty Black*Star echoes far and wide throughout every village and town! When you hear about the man of indomitable spirit, the man who stood against gods new and old and walked away, THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT ME!"

She had been born from the physical manifestation of fear; she was taken care of by a witch and an 800+ year old vampire. She had been around power her entire life, but never had Rudra felt as much power as she had now; not even when she resonated with Maka. Black*Star's wavelength rose above her own, and he almost moved too fast for her to keep track of. He struck Soul, who managed to block at the last second with his scythe; the blade cracked under the pressure.

She was stunned by the amount of power a single human could obtain. Soul drew his arm away and Black*Star brought her down across his chest; forcibly extracting black blood and madness. She used her time quickly and efficiently; soon, Soul was on the ground, gasping for breath.

She couldn't kill him with it, but he would be distracted long enough for them to come up with something. This had been their problem last time - they were unable to actually kill Asura, and now she couldn't kill Soul. But she didn't have Black*Star last time. No matter what happened, she believed in Black*Star to succeed where she had failed.

"Well, do you two geniuses have any bright ideas?" Ragnarok's voice was much more irritated in his head, but the weapon proved a point. Rudra's attention completely shifted and she actually made Black*Star turn around. They didn't need a bright idea anymore.

Rudra wouldn't have recognized her if it wasn't her sister, but Agni had taken the form of a scythe. Her blade remained jagged, her colors red and orange. Maka had her tightly clasped in her gloved palms, and she was sticking her tongue out at the eye near the blade, which was creased in amusement.

"Well, I guess our argument can wait. We seem to have arrived at our destination."


	32. FOOL!

**Oh yeah, this is an Excalibur chapter. it serves almost no point to the plot - but i couldn't just not write one.**

FOOL!

4m/1w after Asura

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><p>"Lord Death, you can't honestly think that keeping her around is a good idea?"<p>

"Would you like to tell me the other options? Because I'm all ears." The reaper had grown tired of Spirit's constant questions - though they were to be expected. After all, it was Rudra and Agni who had caused this entire mess. One of their most talented meisters was currently indisposed due to madness - and Stein was on his way down that road as well. They had lost a student to them, and they also happened to become a full-fledged kishin.

She had suggested a plan to combat the kishin - one that utilized all of the EAT! students that were available, and herself. The plan was fool-proof, having been looked over thoroughly by Tsubaki and Kid. But there was one thing that he couldn't let fly - he couldn't allow her to escape again.

He had let these blades out of his sight once, and they disappeared for 800 years. They had flown under his radar for months before Stein had amassed a good amount of evidence against them - and still, they waited. Maybe if Soul Eater had been more forthcoming about Maka's madness, they could have saved him as well.

But there was no misdirecting the blame - it was solely his fault. He was in charge of the balance of this realm, and he had failed again. He had allowed these weapons to carry on harming students and breeding madness, for what? Just so he could be sure they were really the blades he knew them to be?

"What other choice could he have? She's too powerful to kill right now, and that's if we could-"

"Fool! That isn't your issue; the problem is quite clear. Yes, our good Lord Death isn't struggling with a solution to that question -though, I suppose he could be morally struggling with it- but he's mulling over something bigger; something much more threatening-" If a Reaper Chop could actually hit the Holy Sword, he would have tried. But Excalibur had shown up nearly two hours ago and had sat in silence, up until this point.

"Please, get to the point."

"I. Don't. Like. Being. Interrupted." He enunciated each word with his cane, smacking Spirit in his face. He went on to explain provision number 284, and how it coincided with his lackluster thirties, which lead into a discussion on King Arthur.

"Excalibur, do you know these weapons?"

"Know them? They're my eternal rivals. Yes, that fated spring morn... Or was it a chilled winter night? Ah, yes. My rivals, it happened on that autumn afternoon - we crossed paths naturally, as they are evil and I strike down all things that are so vile as they. Mm, yes, we were shopping at the grocery store, and they took to last of my favorite tea. No, or was that my arch-nemesis, Tom? Yes, maybe it is him..." Stein had gotten much more than he bargained for from the legendary weapon.

Lord Death had been more preoccupied with Arachne than anything else - knowledge of her weapons slipped by, but Excalibur once more slammed his cane onto the ground and shouted 'Fools!' to get everyone's attention once more. The death room was eerily silent, for almost too long.

"I recall their rebellion against Asura. They called humans from all over to be of their service; and they blindly followed. They consumed thousands of souls in their short time here - all from trying to defeat Asura. Arachne couldn't watch them do it anymore, and with the aid of her two most trusted allies -Giriko and Mosquito- she put them in an eternal slumber."

"And is that where your rivalry comes from? Their heinous acts?"

"Fool! Of course. Well, that's not the only reason. But it's a very important one; in reality, they are jealous that they don't have my legendary status."

Stein found that hard to believe. Excalibur, one of the most rude and obnoxious weapons he had ever met, that could never get a story straight, had managed to recall that he had eternal rivals who just so happened to be the subject of discussion lately? And this entire rivalry stemmed... From jealousy? He needed facts. He began to make his way from the death room; he needed to speak with Rudra.

* * *

><p>He didn't tell her why, he just said she needed to speak to Lord Death immediately. Some facts needed to be straightened out; and after his denial of her involvement of next week's mission, she was still a bit sour. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind, to tell him that he had no choice <em>but <em>to let her go-

Every thought in her head vanished and was replaced with a single command. Kill. Kill on sight, no questions asked, no mercy given. The collar around her neck was destroyed instantly. Her hair solidified into something similar to steel; the tips were razor sharp. She was seething with anger; before her stood Excalibur. Her eternal rival, the one person she hated more than Asura. Lord Death smacked her away, telling her to calm down.

"Huh, so I guess he was telling the truth. Just to be clear, do you define your relationship with the Holy Sword, Excalibur as-"

"_Eternal rivals_! I was forged with Asura's madness and Arachne's magic, I was one of the first weapons she made! And yet I and my sister are not legendary? We're only demon blades? No, I won't stand for that - Excalibur, I will kill you and take your title!" They had to admit; none of them had seen her as angry as she was now. She was passionate in her words; but Lord Death had the upper hand.

She was still terrified of him and Stein. He came between her and the other weapon and commanded that she sit down. After clenching her jaw angrily for a few minutes, she relented and sat near Kid; he seemed to be the only other one in the room who shared her feelings on the Holy Sword.

"So it's really as petty as a title?"

"Titles are no petty thing. Death the Kid sounds like a psychopath. But since he's a Grim Reaper, it's totally appropriate. Death Scythe is also a stupid name, but since he's an actual death scythe, it's also appropriate. Being one of the first weapons is enough to be classified as legendary - so why can't we have the title? No, he's been hording the title this entire time. And another thing - what makes him a Holy Sword? I'm not saying we're asking for that title, but what makes that freak Holy?"

Stein had, once more, gotten more of an answer than he had asked for. He had never pegged her for being so petty - but Excalibur tended to bring out the worst in people.

"They call me the Holy Sword, Excalibur! Why, you ask? Because my power is so great, it is only similar to the smiting power of angels. It all has to do with my legend. You see, it began in the 12th century; I was living in a run down artist's studio, trying to get back on my feet after a bad relationship..." Her blade hit the ground next to him, and she was shaking. She couldn't listen to this guy.

"I. Don't. Like. Being. Interrupted." Once again, each word was accompanied by a tap to the forehead. The only reason she hadn't lashed out was because Lord Death was looming behind her, waiting for any signs of attack. Rudra relented; she needed to get out of here.

"Stein, for the love of god, get me away from this thing." For once, the Professor led her out of the death room without a fuss. Normally, he would have given her a hard time; but even he seemed to understand the duress one experienced when near Excalibur. Not even Black*Star could handle the legendary Holy Sword for more than a few minutes.

"There was a student here that managed to wield the Holy Sword for three days."

"Did he die?"

"No, he put Excalibur back. Something about his sneezing fits."

"Are you serious? A _sneezing fit _did him in, but everything else was acceptable? Man, I hate that guy!"

As many questions as Stein asked, she couldn't seem to convey her rage; she had hated Excalibur since their first meeting, more than 800 years ago. They were holding a competition in a village that was ruled by his meister; he had gotten wind of their tournament and showed up, challenging them to a battle.

They had lost; considering the opponent, it wasn't much of a surprise. But back then, they had been rather prideful; it was when their strength was at its peak, when their abilities knew no bounds. But he was out of their league - and it pained them to admit it.

Their invincibility was what made them so powerful. But with a sword like Excalibur out there, it weakened their claims; he could defeat them.

But even if he could bring them down, he wouldn't. He was only here to observe.


	33. RESONANCE3

PART THREE

4m/3w after Asura

* * *

><p>Maka had been wandering the island for hours, trying to figure out a way to any sort of civiliation - but to no avail. She was laying in a pricker bush, unable to remove herself. The madness was pressing against her skull, and almost couldn't tell if it was imagined or not. She felt her heart beating slower and slower, and her vision slowed down as well.<p>

She blinked a few times; it did nothing for her, and she settled for staring at the inside of her eyelids. She was trying to imagine a life without madness or weapons; no meisters, no evil. Just a normal life. What would have happened to her if things had gone differently? She never would have met any of her friends; her lips tugged downwards harshly, and Maka realized she wouldn't have had this go any other way. She wouldn't trade any of them for the world.

Even Agnes, who was cold and calculating but whose praise always meant the most to her. Even Rudy, who gave up too easily, but had yet to give up on her or Soul.

Soul. Her heart ached painfully; she would miss him dearly. In the end, he would probably die. She couldn't bring herself to be there for that. She had seen him die already; thousands of ways, thousands of times. Maka wouldn't be able to handle his death if it was a reality.

A strange metallic sound rang out a few feet away from her. Keeping her eyes closed, she rolled out of the bush and crawled on the ground. A few leaves got stuck in her hair, and she stabbed herself in the throat with a twig, but she felt herself getting closer and closer. There was warmth right in front of her face, and she reached out and grabbed it, opening her eyes.

Her vision was clear, her mind quiet. The madness was gone from her now - whether temporary or for good was questionable, but her savior wasn't expected. Agni pulsed in Maka's hand, not trying to take her over; there was a slow warmth that spread up her arm. Agni sent her wavelength into Maka, and in return, was given Maka's wavelength; this unbound her spirit. Maka was overwhelmed by the sudden noise of her soul, but she fought against it; eventually she carved a spot out for herself, and she felt power course through her veins.

Agni felt her own madness disappear; she could think clearly again - and every event ran through hers and Maka's mind in tandem. The only sound that went through them was the distorted wailing of numerous souls. Agni broke the silence with what sounded suspiciously like a choked sob.

"Crona? No, I didn't... Maka, oh my god. I think I killed Crona." The quiet awe and disgust in her voice made Maka want to forgive her; but still, she had hurt her best friend. She couldn't let that go. But as she examined the memories closer, she was even more distressed to notice that Soul had a heavy influence on that choice. Agni had been controlled by his madness for weeks.

"We need to meet up with the others. And end this."

* * *

><p>Maka used Agni to cut the branches out her way. She wasn't sure where exactly she was supposed to go - Agni had fallen from the sky, and couldn't remember where she came from. She was irritated by the humidity and the scratches on her legs from the pricker bush. But still, she trekked on in search of her friends.<p>

She tripped a few times, and Agni was far more quiet than Soul; the bulky sword was also much harder to lug around than her scythe.

"Why are you so heavy? Ugh, why couldn't you have been a scythe..." Maka groaned in frustration, stabbing Agni into the ground. Her arms were sore from carrying her around. The face on the pommel of the sword gave her a sour look before she huffed out an affirmative; Maka was amazed as she watched Agni transform into a scythe; her blade was red and gold-ish orange, and it was similar to her jagged sword blade. The eye that was up by the blade was purple, and was glaring at Maka.

"I'm not very comfortable like this, but you're the meister." Maka picked up the weapon and twirled her around before a confident smirk found its way to her face. Yeah, this would do.

"What did you mean, I was heavy? Did you never lift weights in the academy?' Maka felt her entire face take on a scrunched up look; it conveyed irritation, confusion, and anger.

"Yeah, I lifted weights! You're just.. heavy!"

"Whatever, noodle arms." Maka shrieked in anger and used the scythe to cut down some branches. She stuck out her tongue at Agni before taking the the situation she had just arrived at.

"Well, I guess our argument can wait. We seem to have arrived at our destination."

Black*Star was hanging off of her before she had time to register exactly what she had seen. She managed to get him to back off, but Rudra was insistent as well. She hadn't expected Maka to come and help them - least of all with her sister, who seemed to have switched sides.

Even stranger, Agni's body took form in the same dark scape as she was in.

"You're resonating with Maka?"

"You're impressed that Maka, who is a much better meister than Black*Star, managed to match up with me?" Rudra was across the space that came between them in no time and hugged her sister, laughing and crying at the same time. She had missed this familiar, comfortable feeling; knowing that it was all going to come out alright.

"Are you two ready?" Maka and Black*Star got into attack positions, and everything was quiet. There was a low rumbling noise, which turned into a chuckle; it evolved into a full on manic episode, as Soul clutched his stomach and bent over. Maka's eyes narrowed and her grip on Agni tightened.

"You can't beat us. But I gotta say, it'll be refreshing to see you both fighting your friends when I'm done here."

"Sheesh, Maka, you hearin' this guy?"

"Yeah, I am, Black*Star. It sounds like he's underestimating us." Agni and Rudra's hands intertwined and a resonance link was established between the four of them; with the extra boost, the blades of each sister began to glow. This was true power.

Black*Star was the first one to attack; he brought Rudra down on Soul, who blocked with a combination of piano wire and bloody needles. Maka came in overhead, and with a roar she cut the attacking wires and prevented them from coming back with Agni's flame. Black*Star danced around Soul, coming in close for attacks when Maka was there to take out the wires.

One or two got through to him, piercing his thigh and shin. He hissed painfully and took a knee from the surprise of the pain. Maka swung Agni in front of him; the blade sent out a short flame that seared his wounds shut, allowing him to continue fighting without losing blood. She brought the blade up just in time to hit Soul in the chin with the dull side - Agni's flames swallowed his body, and he yelled in pain and frustration-

The flames were extinguished immediately and his body was being covered in black marks. Soul's grin was the last thing they saw before a burst of power flattened a few trees in the surrounding area. Rudra had no idea he was capable of digging into his true powers; but Agni had been. She knew this fight had only just begun when they arrived.

Now they had to fight even harder - he was beginning to take them seriously, now that he was well aware of their ability to break his blades. Even if he was a kishin, even if he had black blood in his veins, it still didn't change the fact that their blades were specifically made to stand against that same power.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Ragnarok popped out of nowhere, and Agni had to question it. Rudra explained the entirety of the fight prior to their arrival, as she seemed to have forgotten a few bits and details. Ragnarok looked a bit more like they did now - his skin was darker than theirs, and his eyes were a slightly darker shade of purple. His face was a bit more angular than Rudra's, and he had taken on the form of a young boy.

"If scythe meisters can use Genie Hunter, sword meisters can use a smiliar technique; it's called Eradicator. It seeks out evil and purifies it. In theory, Soul could be alright after this is all said and done." They had nothing else to go on; Maka and Black*Star had gone from offense to defense, and Soul was getting more aggressive the longer they fought.

The sun was beginning to set. It had to be now - they would never be able to fight him at night; in his domain of fear and shadows. The thought ran through their meister's heads, and though Maka had summoned Genie Hunter, Black*Star was struggling with Rudra's form. He couldn't figure out how to use his wavelength with hers.

"Do you trust us?" Maka took longer to answer than Black*Star, but both nodded in the affirmative.

This was their fight to finish. Agni and Rudra took over their respective meisters; Rudra attacked Soul first, as she was faster than her sister. They had to get this right the first time, or else he would be wise to their plan. She took a hit from one of his last wires, a long cut down the side of her face. Black blood shot out from the wound and stabbed him in the neck.

"What was the point of being made for me, if you'll always rebel against me?"

"Maybe we were never made for a kishin; maybe we were meant to defeat you." Agni dropped in from overhead, a Kishin Hunter aimed for his head. He had no time to move, as he was busy trying to block Rudra's Executioner - their blades both glowed bright white, and as they cut through his skin, an explosion of sorts threw them far away.

They relinquished control back to Maka and Black*Star, and they witnessed what came next.

Soul stood up wobbily and looked around, almost confused. A sudden horror filled his face as he looked down at his legs. The black suit was turning into skittering eyes, and he began to shrink. He screamed, and the more he did, the more his body disintegrated into madness. He tried to crawl away when he was only a torso, but he couldn't run away from it. It swallowed him up, all the way to the tip of his middle finger - before completely rendering down into the Earth.

Agni felt her soul become lighter, and her blade went dark. She passed out cold, and Rudra was trying to get her to turn back. It was useless; her soul was no longer in the blade. She put Maka's head in her lap and pet her hair; she hoped desperately that _someone _she had tried to protect was still alive. Her eyes fluttered open, and Rudra was staring into identical shades of violet.


	34. Epilogue

Epilogue

5 months after Asura; 2 weeks after Soul.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Kid, can I borrow your notes? I had to attend the weapon class for Ragnarok, so I missed the material for our test."<p>

"Yes, here you go. Just don't forget to return them to me tomorrow - and don't let that atrocity put them out of order again." The reaper handed her a two-inch binder, full of loose leaf paper; every page was written on. She was really in for it - but there wasn't anyone else she could trust with meister notes. Tsubaki usually had good notes, but they were usually mixed in with her own notes. Kilik often didn't take any notes, and Ox refused to let someone copy his hard work.

She had gone to Kim once, but she was still trying to pay her back.

Rudy thanked him regardless and he turned away to join his weapons on their way to their next class. She went in the opposite direction, towards the enterence of the school.

"Ugh, I'm hungry." Ragnarok spilled from her back and rested his hands on her shoulders. She reached back and patted his head, telling him to settle down.

"Yeah, buddy, me too. It's another hour till lunch, but I'm sure I can scrounge up some snacks from a hidden cache." He was always amazed by all the hiding spots she had for her candies. It took real dedication to jump from wall to wall just to hide a bag of taffy under a ceiling tile, then clean the walls to hide the evidence. But he watched her do it, and he had all the candy he wanted; so he couldn't complain.

It had been nearly two weeks since their big fight with the kishin, and Rudy wasn't quite settled in.

Her apartment had gone up for sale, so she was living with Black*Star and Tsubaki for the time being. Lord Death told her that with Ragnarok's ability, she would no longer have to be a weapon unless the need was dire. She took it as a very subtle hint that, unless she complied and renounced her weapon abilities, she would be hunted mercilessly. She was alright with being a meister - she had a long way to go, however; Black*Star was determined to help her along the way.

Speaking of Black*Star, he was running late.

They had agreed to skip school for the rest of the day to chat over lunch. It wasn't a date. She wouldn't tell anyone it was a date. But without her sister to gossip with, Ragnarok was the one she often divulged her thoughts to. The weapon had calmed down considerably, but was still up to no good. He pulled her hair and flicked her forehead, but aside from that, he was rather tame.

"Hey, Rudy!" The meister was running down the street, waving animatedly at her. He had probably run all the way here - she wouldn't put it passed him. Everything was a competition with him. He smiled charmingly and they hooked arms. Ragnarok chose this moment to go back inside of her body, deciding to leave them alone for once. After all, it was her first date.

"So, where are we going, Black*Star?"

"I'll let you pick today!"

"You know I'm gonna tell you the diner."

"Ugh, fine. But don't get grits. They freak me out." She laughed heartily, and that painful loneliness pulled at her heart again. She was happy with her friends and Black*Star, she was even on good terms with Kid. But she couldn't help but miss her sister. Black*Star had no idea what had happened after Soul died.

She told him that she didn't remember, either. But she knew.

Maka couldn't handle witnessing Soul's death - she loved him too much to let him go alone. Her soul slipped from her body to purify his, leaving no trace of either. Agnes had then slipped from the sword to Maka's empty shell, taking full control of a human body. She couldn't return to the DWMA; someone would know something was wrong, and she would either be experimented on, or killed on the spot.

Thus far, the school hasn't tried locating the other weapon yet, but Rudy was still hopeful that they would leave her be.

She told Rudra that she would be around, and she hadn't seen her sister since.

* * *

><p>Her hips swayed dangerously, and if this wasn't Vegas, then he would have walked away right then and there. She approached a craps table, unsure if she should bid. Her hand absently ran over her gold belly chain, which draped delicately over her hips.<p>

He needed to know who she was.

Half of her head was shaved, and she parted her hair to that side. She had a lip piercing and an eyebrow piercing, but it did nothig to distract from her natural beauty. Her ash blonde hair looked soft in the lighting, and her purple eyes darted between every body she encountered. She looked like she was on the prowl - for a man, or for action, he couldn't be sure.

She approached the bar, ordering two shots of whiskey with no ice. She sat down and adjusted the large case on her back, setting it down beside her. She could rest here for the night; her prey wouldn't leave town while she grabbed a drink and checked out the scenery.

"Excuse me, could I buy you a drink?"

"I wouldn't say no," she purred, not bothering to turn and acknowledge the man who had spoken to her. His voice was deep and rich; she could listen to him talk for hours. But she showed no interest; boys typically didn't know what to do with it, anyway. She downed the rest of her whiskey and it was refilled immediately, by a hand stretching from behind her. She turned and followed the dark skin up to a handsome, but familiar face.

His eyes were red, and his sharp teeth poked out from behind his soft lips. His hair was white, but he wore a gray headband to hold it back. He started cleaning a glass, letting her check him out. She downed her drink again and pushed the glass away, signaling she was down.

He came over to grab her cup, and her fingers brushed his. The electricity that passed between them didn't go unnoticed, and she smiled coyly at him. He was powerless to do anything as she asked his name.

"Solomon. But my friends call me Soul. And your name?"

"I'm Agnes. Tell me, Soul, would you like to join me after you're done work?"

* * *

><p>That's it! resbang 2014 is done! cue balloons and fireworks! thanks for reading - this turned into a completely different story than i first imagined, but i'm happy with it. i hope you all enjoyed! I'll link the artwork on my page, and i'll keep you all updated on Reverb!<p> 


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